Cradle Song
by SometimeLonely
Summary: After the love of his life falls in battle Steve trades in leadership of the Avengers for a quiet life in a small town where the only things he's known for are his eccentric friends who visit often, his artistry, and his kids. All six of them.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own any characters or ideas from any of the following: Marvel Cinematic Universe, X-Men, The Losers, Harry Potter, or Star Trek. The use of these characters is purely for entertainment and I receive no monetary compensation for this story.**

 **A/N: I couldn't get this idea out of my head. I hope it's at least entertaining. This chapter is a prologue. Real story begins in the next chapter. Let me know if you can guess the first of Steve's kids. All the rest will be in the next chapter. Please let me know if this is interesting enough to continue. Thanks!**

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Steve had always wanted to be a father, for as long as he could remember, but he'd never in his life thought that it would ever happen. Growing up in the Depression, so weak, he knew that he would never last long enough to have a family, never mind finding a lady who would care for him enough to want to marry him and start a family with him. It was only Bucky who kept him alive as long as he did, curling around him in the bed so he didn't freeze, propping him up and massaging his chest with his strong hands when his lungs weren't strong enough to keep out the fluid, and hauling in water to boil to keep their tiny flat somewhat humid so that Steve's nose wasn't bleeding at every little move during the long dry winters. It was Bucky who whispered to him on the nights he was laid up with a raging fever, certain he wasn't going to last until the morning, of a future that he knew would never come. Bucky whispered to him of children, as many as he wanted, running around in a yard with actual grass, playing, laughing, happy. He spoke a white house with blue shutters, like the one Steve's mom used to tell him about on the coast of Ireland before she decided her village wasn't exciting enough for the whole of her life. And he spoke to Steve of love, a great love that would make everything worthwhile, all of the pain, all of the sickness as a child. He spoke as if love would be enough to heal all of Steve's many health woes. A love for all time, he whispered as Steve lay delirious, certain that his small friend couldn't hear the love and desperation in his voice. But, Steve did. Every single time.

It was only after the tenth or so time that Steve realized he was going to have to be the one to work up the courage to say it. And so the next morning when he had survived another night and yet another fever had broken, still weak as a kitten, he taken Bucky's hand in his own and pressed a kiss to it, told him he loved him too. Bucky's eyes had lit up like he'd been given the world and, not wanting to risk an asthma attack on Steve's part, he'd pressed a lingering kiss to Steve's forehead. From then on they'd been a couple in every sense of the word behind closed doors and even though Steve knew he still wouldn't last long enough to ever have a family it didn't hurt as much any longer. Knowing he'd at least had a great love had been enough. The night before Bucky shipped out and Steve showed him his acceptance papers they'd clung to each other, each more scared for the other than they'd ever been before. Steve nearly cried himself into a fit when he had to stay behind in their little apartment while Bucky got on the train to take him away. He would have given anything to be able to say his goodbyes to his love and give him one more kiss as he boarded.

Dreams sustained him in the long months he was being used to sell war bonds. Dreams that even if he wasn't used for what he was intended, even if he never got to make it to the war, he would be able to welcome Bucky home with a smile. Maybe they could get that house Bucky always told him about. They'd have to be careful, of course, and they still wouldn't be able to be fathers like he'd always dreamed, but they'd be together. And now he knew he would survive. They could grow old together. But, those dreams were traded in for a war when he'd finally made it Europe himself and despite the terrible battlefields, the devastation he was painfully aware of all around him it had been one of the happiest times of his life. He'd felt useful, he'd had friends and he'd had love. Rescuing Bucky, the night shared in a tent when they'd gotten back to camp, simply laying together and talking as they ran their hands over each other's bodies, rememorizing each other as they were and not how they remembered each other. It had been a wonder to Steve how often he could kiss Bucky and still not run out of breath. Fighting side by side with Bucky for so many months had been almost as good as the dreams he'd once had of their little house with the big yard. Sometimes, both the good and the bad of the war, felt like it would last forever.

But, of course it hadn't. The war had come to an abrupt end for him over the course of just a few days. He'd only ever wished once in his life that he hadn't taken Erskine's opportunity. The night he'd sat in the bombed out bar, trying to drink himself into an oblivion that would never come, he'd wished more than anything, so hard that he'd broken a glass and couldn't even have the pleasure of glass shards in his hand, that he could follow Bucky to the grave. He was raised a good Catholic boy and there was nothing he would have done to force his death, but he'd be lying, even to himself, if he didn't admit that when he'd forced the plane down a good part of him was relieved…and grateful.

Then, when he'd woken up he'd gone through two years with the same feeling in his gut, but he'd never been more grateful that his prayers hadn't been answered than the day Bucky came back to him. It wasn't how he though they would be reunited and it had been a long, hard road to break seventy years of Hydra conditioning, but in the end Bucky's strength, Steve's persistence, and their love pulled them through the darkness and into the best five years of both of their lives. They were never completely at peace. They were Avengers, after all, but it wasn't a constant war as it had been before and in the new millennium they could be exactly who they were without fear that someone was going to come after them in the night and cart them off to jail or worse. They didn't have to hide from their own family in the tower. They kept their secret from the press and the rest of the world because they didn't want to have to deal with the hate that they knew would come their way if they came out publicly, not when they'd only so recently found each other and all they wanted to do was celebrate their love.

They'd been talking about coming out to the rest of world, finally ready to take the next step in their relationship, marriage and maybe even the adoption of a child or two, when the worst had come to pass. Super soldiers were strong, it's how they were engineered, but not even Bucky could survive the three-inch diameter pole through his chest in the middle of a battle. Steve didn't even know what had happened until it was all over and he found Natasha on her knees, Bucky's head in her lap and a blank look in her eye as a single tear made its way down her cheek. Bucky's eyes were open, gazing up at the sky, but there was no life in them. His face was relaxed and when Steve fell to his knees and closed his eyelids gently he looked almost peaceful. It was the peace that broke something in Steve that he wasn't sure would ever really mend. He wasn't even aware he was screaming as he took Bucky in his arms and rocked back and forth, not until Bruce finally joined them and managed to force the cocktail of drugs into him that he'd managed to create to sedate a super soldier.

For two months Steve walked around in a daze. He didn't even really feel like himself. He felt…distant…as if he were already with Bucky in death and his body just hadn't caught up to it yet. He could see the concern in the others' eyes when they looked at him, hear it in their voices, but nothing they said, none of the looks they gave him, could make him care. He was numb to everything around him. When he could work up the energy to care about anything at all he was distantly aware that he was scaring them and he could almost regret it, but then he would see Bucky in his mind's eyes, peaceful, still…dead…and the numb would wash over him all over again. He ate when Natasha and Bruce put food to his lips, bathed when Tony and Clint led him into a shower though he couldn't even work up a blush when Clint finally just stripped down and joined him under the water to wash him. Nothing could break through the clouds. Even Fury and Hill coming over and outright ordering him. When he wasn't eating or bathing he was just…existing. Sometimes he slept, sometimes he didn't. He sat or laid wherever someone led him.

It was just any other day in his new existence when Bucky brought him back to life, just as he'd done five years before. He was simply laying on his bed, staring at the wall when the most beautiful voice he'd ever heard in his life called out to him.

"Hi, Stevie," He rolled over to see what was obviously a holographic projection standing at the foot of the bed. Bucky looked just as he had in Steve's best dreams. He was in his uniform, his hair still long, but pulled back in a neat tail at the nape of neck, his face clean-shaven, his eyes bright. Steve sat up and let the blanket that Tony had placed over him pool around his waist.

"If you're seeing this then I'm gone. We've always known it's a possibility that we're going to die in the field. It's kind of been out life for a long time, huh? I'm going to ask JARVIS to wait a couple of months to show this to you if I kick it. I know you, Stevie. You're a drama queen and I know it's going to take you a while before you're ready to listen to anything. So, I want you to listen to me now.

I want you to know that you are the best thing that's ever happened to me. I thought it when you were still my scrawny little idiot who didn't know how to back down from a fight and I think it now that you're my big idiot who still can't back down. Everything good that has ever happened to me has happened because of you and when it comes to loving you I have no regrets. Not about following, not about loving you. None.

It's going to be hard for you, when I'm gone, doll, I know that. You let yourself love me maybe a little too much. You make me the center of your happiness and if I'm gone then you can't do it anymore. But, I'm begging you, Stevie, please, please don't let yourself give up. You have so much to give. And not just as Captain America. Fuck, Steve, the captain is the least of who you are. I know you and I have talked about putting it all down, letting ourselves just be us…family…kids. If it feels right, Steve, I want you to do that. You're going to be an incredible father someday and even though I hope I'm there with you just because I might not be isn't a reason to deprive some kid out of you as a dad.

I guess, if I died, I'm sorry if it was because I did something stupid and I'm sorry I couldn't be with you to the end of the line. It's all I ever needed to be happy and I hope that you're going to go and find what you need to be happy, too. I want you happy, doll. That's the most important thing to me. Your happiness. And if you find some other fella or a dame or whatever…well, whatever it takes. But, be happy. I love you, Punk."

"I love you, Jerk." Steve whispered as the hologram froze with Bucky looking slightly embarrassed, that sweet half smile on his face that Steve was so used to. And finally the clouds lifted and he felt everything that he'd been holding back. Bruce had to have been close because he ran into the room just a moment after Steve began to howl like a wounded animal and held him silently as he weathered the storm of his emotions. When it was finally over Steve was more exhausted than he'd ever been in his life and he slept for twenty-seven hours without waking.

When he finally did wake everything still hurt like hell but he felt like he could breathe again. He took a couple more weeks to think long and hard about what he wanted, re-watched Bucky's message close to a thousand times, and finally came to a decision. Fury was understandably angry when he took the shield to him and told him he was done. But, all the threats, all the angry words, and finally all the pleas wouldn't change Steve's mind. Bucky wanted him happy and for the first time he felt like he wanted to be happy, too. So, he was going to go find his happiness. All he knew was that it wasn't being a hero any longer. The weight of so many depending on him was killing him. He'd given his life in service of his country and now it was his turn to live.

He was surprised at just how supportive the other Avengers were. Natasha kissed him gently, Bruce patted him on the back with tears in his eyes, Clint just smiled and nodded, Thor embraced him with all his strength, and Tony told a crude joke before he handed Steve the latest version of the Starkphone and yelled for him to call as he made his way quickly out of the room, citing important work in the lab. Steve rode away from the tower with tears in his eyes and lightness in his heart that he'd been missing for years. For a time he simply let himself be. He rode around the country, got to know it in a way he never had before, ate when he was hungry, slept when he was tired, sometimes camping, sometimes getting a hotel.

His wanderlust finally came to an end in a small Colorado town. It had once been a mining town, but that had been a hundred years before. The mining had gone bust, of course, but the town had survived due to the rich farmland surrounding it. The farms produced and the town grew up inside of them to support that production. It seemed like everyone knew each other's names still. One car lot, a main street, no big chain stores. Everything was still bought at mom and pop places that had been in the family for years. The restaurants were the same. Steve decided to stay for a couple of weeks to relax and when, by the third day, people were smiling and greeting him by name he knew he'd found home. It was somewhere between how he'd grown up and the new world he found himself in.

He bought a large house just on the outskirts of the town that had once belonged to a miner who'd made it big but sold and abandoned it when the gold dried up. A few had tried to bring it back over the years, the town's residents told him, but they all gave up. Steve had to admit, it was a monumental task, but his back pay from the army and his pay for his time employed by S.H.I.E.L.D. made it so that he could buy the old place in cash and still never have to worry about work another day in his life if he didn't want to. He took his time, a couple more years, bringing the old place back to life. He took it down to the studs in many cases, new wiring, new plumbing, and made it livable again. But, it was exterior that was his true pride and joy. By the time he was done it was restored to how it had looked in pictures in the local museum and he had never been more proud of something he had done with his own hands.

His work on the house, the construction, and the fancy details, earned him a reputation as a carpenter and he found that the reputation made him happy too. He built himself a workshop out back and made things that made him happy. Tables and rocking chairs, things that looked beautiful and would last. He was never more proud than when Miss Mary Elizabeth Johnston, whose family had been original settlers of the town, told him that she would be happy to sell his pieces in her general store. Soon he was working on commissions too and within another couple years he found himself with a small store on Main. All his own furniture and even some carvings and statues. Even if that has been all he had for income it sold well enough to keep him comfortable and the work pleased him to no end. After a couple of months the store did so well that he'd even hired someone to look after it so he could work on his pieces all the time and not worry about the presentation and sales aspect that he'd never enjoyed.

He'd found his place and it was all he'd ever wanted. Sure, he was a little lonely sometimes. It was a big house, after all, but his friends came to visit often. When they were with him Steve could tell they were relaxed and he was glad to be able to be that person, that place, they could come to when they just needed a break from all of the demands of the world. He was always happy to have them and it was his friends who changed his life forever when one winter night when the air was so cold you could taste it and the stars shined like shards of glass they brought him an unexpected gift.

Tony pounding on the door brought him out of a dead sleep and for a moment Steve reached for the shield he hadn't carried in years.

"Rogers!" His voice was strained, "Get your ass down here before I freeze my balls off!"

"Tony," Bruce's voice was long suffering and annoyed. Steve vaulted down the stairs and tore the door open, almost afraid of what he would find. What were they running from that they'd come to him so late?

"What is it? What's happening?" He motioned to them to come in and was already slipping back in the Captain when Clint stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"We…uh…" He stammered quietly.

"We didn't know where else to bring them," Natasha said softly, "We found them in a Hydra facility."

Steve finally looked down at the bundle he'd noticed in Natasha's arms and took in a sharp breath through his nose. She was holding a sleeping child, a toddler, against her chest. He was either just out of babyhood or maybe small for his age and covered in a blue, downy fur. Just the tips of a couple of long canines pressed over his lower lip and Steve could see a spaded tail wrapped delicately around Natasha's arm.

"Them…" Steve breathed and looked up to see a pair of shining pupil-less eyes looking at him tiredly from where a beautiful little girl, five or six with lavender skin and dark pink hair, was looking at him from Thor's arms.

"It's fine," Steve said, in a daze, "It's…come in. Let's get the kids warmed up. I'll just…go put on some coffee."

"I got that," Tony pushed past him and he led them all into the living room, unable to take his eyes off of the kids as he built up a fire.

An hour later when he was sitting in the living room, the little girl, Clarice, curled up against his side as she slept and the baby boy, Kurt, in his arms, it felt like nothing had ever been as right as things were right then. He breathed the sleeping kids in, looked at his friends, sitting around, too keyed up from their battle to sleep, but exhausted still, and smiled.

"You're going to be a great dad, Steve," Bruce smiled back.

"Yeah," Steve breathed, half in amazement, "Yeah. I am."


	2. Mornings in the Rogers House

**All Previous Disclaimers Apply**

 **A/N: I still like this a lot and for the one review and every kudo and like I am going to continue it. Also for me. :) If you like it too please let me know. Also, check out the second author's note at the end. I'd really appreciate some feedback. Thanks always for reading!**

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Early morning, before the hustle and bustle of the day began, was one of the loneliest times in Steve's life, but in recent years he'd come to apreciate a little bit of lonely. It was the quiet times, just before the sun rose, when he was standing alone on the big porch with a cup of good, strong coffee and the woods that surrounded the home he'd built for himself and the children who'd become his own. Depending on the time of year there was often mist low on the ground and at least a couple of birds in the trees just waking up to sing as he took his few precious moments alone on the porch. Sometimes he even saw a deer or two come through. They were never afraid of him as he watched them, sipping from him mug and smiling all the while. Sometimes he'd sit on the first rocker he'd carved himself and simply close his eyes and breathe it in. Even in the loneliness for romantic attention he sometimes felt…he was happy. And not just the surface happy he'd felt before the children came along, but a deep down, right into his bones happy that he never thought he'd feel again after Bucky died. Sometimes he could almost feel Bucky sitting next to him and though that if he only turned his eyes he'd see him grinning at him. It was those moments that he missed him the most.

But then, inevitably there would be something that would pull him out of his silent reverie. Whether it was a crash as one of the twins fell out of the top bunk of the bed in their rush to turn off the alarm, his two oldest arguing over who was going to get into the bathroom they shared first, or the sweet babbling of a baby as it was that morning. He smiled at the portable baby monitor he'd brought out onto the porch with him and clipped it to his jeans pocket before he took one last swallow of his coffee and headed inside. He stopped for just a moment, keeping his ear on the monitor at his hip, to refill the coffee pot and get it going. His two oldest were coffee drinkers now that they were halfway through high school and though it was summer and they didn't need to, all of his children had a tendency to be early risers, just like he was. Even when they'd stayed up half the night as it was in the case of the twins. It was a good thing neither of them needed as much sleep as a typical person. He pulled out some fixings for breakfast. Usually if he was lucky Neville and Clarice would start things so he could get the younger ones ready to get into town.

"Morning, Daddy."

Steve turned around just as Clarice came into the room, just finishing up braiding her waist length hair. When she'd first come to him she'd been so malnourished and small that though he'd been right about her age, nearly six, he hadn't realized just how small she was compared to other children her age until he'd seen her next to them. At sixteen now, she was still small for her age, but what she lacked in height and girth she made up for in pure strength and attitude. She'd been a gymnast and a martial artist from the day she was strong enough to begin classes. Her compact body was pure corded muscle and she stood on the very tips of her toes to press a kiss to his cheek. He ran a hand over her hair. Clarice was his only daughter and he thought there was probably no girl in the world quite as beautiful as she was. Her skin remained pale lavender and her hair had deepened until it was nearly magenta. The dark purple marks around her face had developed naturally and he placed a kiss to the one just in the center of her forehead before he ran his hand over her hair.

"Morning, sweetheart," He smiled when she made a beeline for the coffee pot and couldn't help but chuckle at the disgruntled noise she made when she realized the new pot hadn't finished brewing. She turned back to the counter and took stock of all that Steve had laid out.

"French toast?" She asked.

"It's Saturday," He shrugged, "And the twins like it so much. I figured we'd let ourselves have a nice, easy breakfast and go into town a little later."

She made a non-committal sound and began to crack eggs into a bowl. He chuckled at her lack of enthusiasm, took it as still not being quite awake, and left the monitor on the counter to make his way to the baby's room. He barely caught sight of the twins as they tore down the hallway and couldn't help but chuckle at Jake's frustrated growl when Jimmy made it into the bathroom first and slammed the door in his face. The chuckle turned into a sigh when Jake pounded a fist on the door.

"Hey. Hey now!" He turned back for a moment and caught his son by his thin shoulders. Jake looked down automatically as he was turned gently around. Steve knew what a difficult time Jake sometimes had with social interaction, a leftover from the time he'd spent in his early life as a Hydra experimental clone. He'd been with Steve for years, knew that Steve would never hurt him, but some reactions were simply ingrained. Steve was just glad that he wasn't flinching anymore anytime someone reached out to touch him. It had taken three years to work that one out. If it took another ten to work out Jake looking down as soon as someone questioned him they would just have to keep working on it until meeting someone's eye was what was second nature. He knew his son felt safe with him and he knew his son knew he was loved. It was just getting him to react that way now. He waited for just a moment until Jake took a breath and lifted his eyes. It always made the corner of his mouth tug up to have his own eyes looking back at him, but much more clever than his own gaze had ever been.

"You wanna give the door a break, bud?"

"Yeah…Sure." Jake shrugged and then grinned, "I'll beat him tomorrow."

"I bet." Steve ruffled the dirty blonde hair. "French toast for breakfast. Try not to make a disaster of the bathroom. You guys know we have company tonight."

"Got it. No messes," Jake murmured, then, "But, really! I have, like twelve percent of a plan, Dad! It's either going to beat the snot out of Jimmy or burn down the house. I'm not sure which exactly, but either way it's going to be totally awesome!"

"Aim for just beating your brother to the bathroom, okay?" Steve said mildly with a raised eyebrow. "We don't have the money right now to buy another house."

"I could always hack Uncle Tony's bank account!" Jake said brightly, "He wouldn't notice a couple million missing!"

"No hacking before breakfast." Steve admonished with an eye roll.

"But, after breakfast is okay?"

"Jake!"

"Got it, got it! No hacking Uncle Tony's accounts."

"Uncle Tony always says that if you can get past his firewalls you deserve to take whatever you want," Jimmy poked his head out the door, a comb stuck in his unruly brown hair, bright blue eyes nearly covered by long bangs. The eyes had long since stopped making his heart clench in remembrance. Now they were the eyes of his much loved child and they held entirely too much spunk and daring, just as the original owner's had.

"James Rogers, do not encourage your brother." Steve grinned at them both. Not twins by blood, but they'd been cloned by Hydra at the same time, raised together and brought to him as a pair. Around town they were known as The Rogers Twins. Steve reached out and smoothed a hand over Jimmy's hair as he'd done with Jake's, "You need a haircut today, kid."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." With that slight hint of Brooklyn still in his voice Jimmy pulled back into the bathroom, but this time left the door open for his brother.

Steve huffed a laugh as Jake darted into the bathroom before Jimmy could change his mind and straightened up to make his way to the baby's room. Pavel was probably the best natured baby that had ever been born. He almost never cried. Sometimes Steve thought it was because he was smart enough to realize that they were all aware of his needs constantly. Four older brothers, an older sister, and a father who jumped to him any time he even seemed to remotely need anything at all. Steve crossed his arm and leaned against the doorframe with a smile on his face when his thought was proven when he saw his oldest talking quietly to his youngest as he finished a diaper change.

Neville was the third to come to him and the oldest when he came. He was already eight the night the X-Men's Blackbird had landed in a clearing in the woods behind Steve's house. Clarice was seven at the time, Kurt only three, and Steve had thanked the high heavens that neither of them had woke up when the engines on the jet blasted overhead. He'd been about to give Charles Xavier a piece of his mind when, old man or not, he'd wheeled out of the back, but he'd stopped short at seeing the child standing scared behind the professor. He'd been on holiday with his grandmother when she'd passed. Natural causes, but weeks of searching for family overseas had yielded nothing. He'd been signed over to Charles' protection when his contact in social services had noticed his power. Strange things were happening when he was emotional, but after bringing him to the mansion Charles had realized that he wasn't a mutant, that his power came from something Charles had never seen before. Having heard that Steve had retied himself and remembering his contacts with magic users he'd brought the boy to Steve as a last ditch effort to make him feel comfortable and normal. Steve had taken one look at him, chubby-cheeked and so shy and traumatized he could barely get a word out, and had fallen in love with him as surely as he'd fallen in love with Clarice and Kurt. Steve had taken him in with the promise to find him a teacher and, though he had, Neville had never left. And he had grown into an incredibly handsome, incredibly talented, and empathetic young man. Steve was so proud of him sometimes that he couldn't breathe.

"Morning," Steve said happily when Neville turned around, holding Pavel so that their cheeks were pressed together. His oldest and his youngest. Steve wished he had a camera to capture the moment.

"Morning, Dad!" Neville said cheerfully. He'd never quite lost the English accent and it made the girls at the high school fawn over him.

"Da!" Pavel babbled and reached for Steve. Steve took the baby in his arms and pressed a kiss to the sweet smelling skin.

"Good morning, baby," he cooed, then handed him back to his brother.

"Thanks for getting him up, Nev. Do you think you could get him started on some snacks? I'll take care of his breakfast after I get Kurt up."

"Sure," Neville agreed genially and began making his way to the stairs.

"And Nev?" Steve called after him.

"Yeah, Dad?"

"Keep your eyes on the twins the next couple of weeks? Jake has some sort of plan to beat Jimmy to the bathroom and apparently part of it could result in the house burning down."

Neville nodded slowly, a look of contemplation on his face, the usual response to hearing about the twins' latest escapade, "Got it."

"Thanks."

Kurt's room was just next door to Pavel's and was predictably black when Steve opened the door. Kurt preferred the pitch black to sleep. Steve crossed the impeccably neat floor to open the blackout curtains and wasn't surprised when he turned into the brightened room and didn't see Kurt in his bed. His little Nightcrawler had always preferred height to the ground. He'd hung a hammock from Kurt's ceiling as soon as the boy was old enough to sleep in one without falling out and he spent most nights in it. Steve climbed the narrow staircase that doubled as storage he and Clarice had built a couple years before to get eye level with the high cot. Someone else needed a haircut, he thought tenderly as he ran his fingers through Kurt's shoulder length hair. Not that Kurt would let him cut his like Jimmy would. Now that Kurt was in middle school he liked his hair long. Steve didn't have a problem with it as long as it was neat.

"Kurt," he called softly, "It's time to get up, buddy."

"No," Kurt moaned and turned his face away.

"Yes," Steve argued, "It's already getting late."

"Some people sleep in on Saturdays," Kurt grumbled, cracking a pupil-less eye open.

"Well, some people's dads don't have their own shop to run."

"Leia opens Saturdays," Kurt argued. Leia was the college student who helped Steve out evening and weekends during the summer when there was more business due to tourism and easy travel.

"Yeah, and it's not fair to ask her to handle the store all by herself on a Saturday, even in the morning. You know how busy it is in the summer."

"Fine…" Kurt huffed and rolled out of the cot, landing on his feet like a cat. It always made Steve's breath hitch when he did things like that, and Kurt knew it.

"Watch the attitude, buddy," Steve warned.

Kurt didn't answer, but his scowling face softened before he teleported out of the room and to the bathroom he shared with Neville, Steve was sure. He took a minute to breathe before he climbed down the cot stairs. He needed to constantly remind himself that the attitude would pass. He'd gone through it with Neville and Clarice and dreaded going through it with the twins. Somehow it was harder with Kurt. He'd been the sweetest of kids until six months ago. Now the attitude, the hiding things…Steve just had to keep telling himself that it would pass. As long as he kept letting Kurt know how much he was loved and that he could tell him anything the easy relationship would come back. Just like it had with the older ones. He hoped.

By the time he made his way back downstairs the chaos that he loved had erupted in the kitchen. Jimmy was standing at the stove with Clarice, helping her with whatever she'd let him do around the stove to make the French toast. Neville and Jake were supposed to be setting the table from how it looked, but were half wrestling instead, Jake clinging to Neville's back and Neville laughing too hard to do anything to get him off. Kurt was giving a glimmer of the sweet boy beneath the pre-teen attitude as he made silly faces at Pavel as he fed him his morning cereal. Pavel giggled up a storm and got more cereal on him than in him, but that didn't matter. These were his kids. His family. And Steve had never been more proud. Or content. Even if there was still some loneliness at night he had a good life.

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 **A/N: This will be a story about Steve and his kids. It's not meant to be too heavy. There will be light angst but for the most time this will be a fairly ideal world, even for mutants. At least in the town Steve and his kids live in. I'd also like there to be some romance for Steve but I'm having a hard time deciding who it should be so I have a question. If anyone reading has a moment to help me decide I'd appreciate any feedback. I'm a slash writer so all of these potential pairings are slash. So...would readers rather see:**

 **1)Steve/Clint - Something happens with Laura and, voila, blended family with Steve's kids and Clint's kids.**

 **2)Steve/Bones(from Star Trek AOS) - Bones comes to a little CO town after his divorce dragging his baggage, his daughter, and a crazy best** **friend with him.**

 **3)Steve/Loki - A reformed Loki is the one who taught Neville in magic and he and Steve have been slowly falling in love all for ears and denying it.**

 **4)Anyone else you'd rather see? Except for Tony. I have plans for him as an exceptional uncle later in the story. :)**

 **Also...Just for info - Steve's kids are as follows: Neville Longbottom(Harry Potter),Clarice Ferguson(X-Iles),Kurt Wagner(X-Men),Jimmy Rogers(Hydra Clone of Bucky Barnes),Jake Jensen(Losers - for this story Hydra clone of Captain America),Pavel Chekov(Star Trek)**

 **All except Neville were enhanced, cloned or experimented on by Hydra and the Avengers brought them to Steve.**


	3. A Night Out and An Introduction

**All Previous Disclaimers Apply.**

 **A/N: It's been a super long time! RL had been kicking my butt! And now we get to see the partner for the story. Thanks to everyone who gave their opinion. I started chapters with everyone, but this ended up being the couple who made the most sense within the context of the tone I'm going for. Also, the most voted. :) I hope you enjoy!**

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"Steven, how long has it been since you took a private moment for yourself away from the children?"

"Hmm?" Steve murmured distractedly as he fed Pavel his final bottle of the evening. The baby was half asleep and only suckling lazily on it, finishing it off, his eyes heavy and content. Watching Pavel fall asleep always put Steve in a trance-like state, helped to calm and center him as his youngest showed the utmost trust in him and fell asleep in his arms. Steve smiled as Pavel almost lazily turned his head so he could get a look at who the new voice belonged to, then decided it was too much work and turned back, his eyes rolling up in his head as he finally gave into sleep.

"Oh, my little darling."

For the longest time Steve hadn't been able to reconcile the stately formal woman who Thor had introduced them to as the Queen of Asgard, a shield maiden of the realm, and his mother, with the woman who visited him and his children as often as she could, dressed down in Midgardian jeans and t-shirts, leaving her feet bare, and rocked his children to sleep, singing them lullabies, sitting up with them when he was overwhelmed with four or five of them sick, never complaining about the sick on her shirt or the many demands of feverish, grumpy children.

It was really the introduction of Neville into his life that brought the blessing in the form of Frigga to them. When Charles Xavier had brought Neville to him, unable to help him control powers that were not mutant in origin, and Steven Strange hadn't been available, he'd been at the end of his rope. Neville's powers were growing stronger by the day in response to upset and stress, which there was plenty of, being torn from the only life he'd ever known and the loss of his much loved grandmother, the only caretaker he remembered. And he'd seemed exhausted after so much use of them on some days. Steve hadn't known what to do.

At first when Thor offered the services of Loki, reformed completely, he assured him, and more than willing to help a youngling, Steve had been hesitant. He wasn't certain he could trust someone who'd caused so much destruction around his children. But, when the day came that Neville was barely able to open his eyes after a burst of power that sent the kitchen furniture flying, Steve had finally agreed. As if sensing just how much apprehension Loki's coming was causing Steve Thor sent his mother along with his brother and reassured Steve that she was just as powerful as Loki and could control him if need be.

After their first session together, with both Loki and Frigga working with Neville she'd sat Steve down at his kitchen table to explain.

"It isn't the use of the power that hurts him," She said gently, "It's not using it. Every time his feels a burst of it coming on he pulls back as much of it into himself as he can to make certain he doesn't hurt anyone. We found the remnants of a spell on him that allowed the power to drain naturally until he learned enough control to do it himself. I assume the caster has passed?"

"It must have been his grandmother," Steve said quietly, "He was found in a hotel room with her body. She'd passed, most likely in her sleep, a few days before."

"Poor little dove," Frigga sighed, "All will be well and good. There is no finer teacher of control than Loki. I would not tell Thor or your other Avengers, it would probably cause them nothing but concern, but Loki has much more power than ever I will. And he has gained control through much hard work and perseverance. He will teach Neville the same, if you will let him."

She'd seen the discomfort on Steve's face and continued, "I know my son has caused much pain to your realm and to you, Steven, but he is truly a changed man. He has power, but I have patience, and I worked the spell myself to undo the hateful poisoning of his mind."

"Wait…someone…made him do what he did?"

"Yes," She answered, "The resentment and suicidal nature of my youngest was nurtured and twisted by evil to take control of his very body and soul. Once it was broken he felt a deep, abiding regret for all he had done, but my son is still a prince and a very proud man. He cannot bring himself to apologize. Instead he works for the light and hopes to make up for his sins with noble acts. Though he'll never say it aloud."

She'd winked at him over the rim of her teacup.

"I hope you will allow him to continue teaching Neville and I hope you will not mind, but I intend to visit as often as I can."

"Of course I don't mind." He'd blinked in surprise, "But, I'm not certain why you'd want to."

"Steven," She'd set her teacup down on her saucer with a gentle hand, "My sons are both grown and neither shows any indication that they are ready to settle and breed. I am more than ready to be a grandmother and have been for millennia. I am hoping you will allow me to fulfill that desire with your children."

It had been one of the best decisions he'd ever made when he said yes to her. She'd been a rock he could depend upon for years. She loved his children unreservedly and they loved her in the same way. As he did, he had to admit. She'd become the mother he hadn't had since Sarah Rogers had passed so long ago. The day he'd accidently called her mother she'd hugged him so fiercely he'd thought his ribs would crack. She crossed the room in quick strides and swept Pavel out of his arms so smoothly the baby didn't even awake. With practiced movements she nuzzled him gently before changing his diaper and laying him comfortably in his crib.

"He grows so fast," She sighed as he stood, "Will you not bring another into your heart as he grows?"

"Mother," Steve huffed a laugh, "Don't you think six is enough?"

"You've the greatest heart I have ever known, Steven. I am certain there would be room for one more." She teased.

"Room in my heart, but room in the house?" He wrapped an arm around her shoulder and led her out of the room, "And time? It's hard enough to give the six I have the time they deserve on an individual level."

"Something that would be much easier accomplished if you had a partner," Frigga pointed out.

"And when would I find the time to meet and court anyone, Ma?" He asked.

"You must make the time, my son," She scolded, "Go…take some time for yourself. A drink or two at that charming tavern in town."

"Ma…"

"Loki and Neville will be a few hours yet, at the least. They are working on a particularly complex spell. Clarice is out with friends, Kurt is, as ever, shut away in his room for the rest of the evening, and Pavel is sleeping. I can take care of the twins for a time. We will put on a film and make popcorn. How do you expect love to find you if you hide away from it?"

Steve decided it wasn't worth it to try to argue with her as he had in the past. He just smiled, shrugged and grabbed his jacket before telling her to call if she needed anything. He jogged in the cool evening air the five mile trip into the town and made his way to the one local bar. It would be nice to grab a beer, even if the alcohol did nothing for him, and catch the game for a bit. Frigga was right, after all, it had been a long time since he'd taken any time for himself. It was nice to be surrounded by people and have no one requiring anything from him, he decided, as he sat down at the bar with his beer and turned his attention to the baseball game on the screen. It had been a while since he'd gotten to watch any game and it was one of his favorite pastimes even if it wasn't his team. He nodded at the men who sat next to him, noticed in passing that they were both handsome, one blonde and one dark, before turning back to the game.

"Oh, come on!" He couldn't help but cry out after a terrible call, and turned, surprised, when it was echoed by the man next to him. He turned and blinked at the man on the next stool, who had done the same, and then burst out laughing when the other man's serious mouth quirked up at the corner.

"Terrible call," The man groused in a pleasantly low voice, made somewhat smooth by a gentle, barely there, southern twang.

"Absolutely horrible," Steve agreed. He took a moment to observe the man in front of him and his companion. His haircut said military, but either on an extended leave or recently retired as it seemed to have grown out a little. He held himself in such a way that suggested either Navy or Coast Guard, more used to being on the water than on land as if he expected to have to catch his balance at any moment, even as he was sitting, core muscles tight and back straight, even if his shoulders curled inward to give off an air of relaxation. Steve couldn't help but be a little captivated by his eyes. It wasn't the fact that the moss green color was stunning. It was the pain and experience in them, and the humor and love that still managed to shine through it all, that had Steve forgetting how to breathe for a moment. It was the man quirking an eyebrow at him in curiosity when he'd been looking just a bit too long that broke Steve out of his silent observation.

He cleared his throat a little uncomfortably and reached out a hand, "Steve Rogers."

"Leonard McCoy," The man answered amiably and took his hand to shake. And it was Steve who had to raise an eyebrow when Leonard didn't let go of his hand right away and, in fact, stroked a finger against the pulse point on his wrist absentmindedly.

"Jim Kirk," His friend snorted at their antics and pushed Leonard's hand out of Steve's to shake, "And he's lying. His name is Bones."

"Bones?" Steve asked, huffing out a laugh.

Leonard rolled his eyes and made a motion to the bartender for another drink for himself and Steve, noticeably leaving Jim out. Jim pouted for a second as Leonard handed Steve the beer the bartender handed him, "A nickname the infant gave after we first met. I was coming out of three year hang-over when my divorce was finalized, told him all I had left was my bones…just sort of stuck. Kind of like him." He rolled his eyes again, this time fondly and took a sip of his fresh bourbon as he turned to look at his friend, who'd somehow made his way across the bar and was already leaning against it to flirt with a very pretty lady in a very short dress. Steve didn't recognize her, but she had the look of one of the ladies who would come every summer when the motorcycle race up the mountain was held. Steve smiled and took a sip of his beer.

"I have a couple of those myself." They sat in silence for a few minutes, watching the game comfortably before the inning finished out and Steve turned back.

"So…what brings you to town? Haven't seen you around."

"And you know everyone, do you?" The corner of his mouth tipped up in that attractive half smile took the sting out of his words.

"Been here near fifteen years now. It's a small town. I know pretty much everyone by name." Steve tipped his glass to the smiling man in front of him.

"Touché," Leonard tapped his glass against Steve's, "You got me. Just got custody of my little girl. Wanted to get her away from some bad memories. Heard about a job opening here. Heard some good things about the town. Got the job and here we are. Jim and some of our other friends came with us to give moral support and move us in."

"And your daughter is with them tonight?" Steve turned to face the man, the spark of attraction burning into interest to hear another who made changes in his life purely for his child…He felt the heat of something he hadn't felt for a very, very long time burning low in his belly. It had been a very long time indeed since he was as attracted to someone on an aesthetic level as he was interested in a personal one. He had to stop himself from reaching over and putting a hand on Leonard's knee, knowing it was entirely too familiar, even if he knew Leonard had to be feeling as comfortable around him as he was around the attractive, stoic man because he had a feeling that Leonard wasn't usually so open with his words.

"Yeah. They took her down the mountain to a movie before they leave tomorrow." Leonard reacted to his body language in turn and toward him, the game that was resuming behind them completely forgotten. It took Steve a minute to answer when the intense, focused gaze made his mouth go dry for a moment.

"My mom is with mine tonight."

"You have kids?" The eyebrow went up again.

"Hell yeah…" Steve smiled, prepared to wax poetic on his favorite topic when they were interrupted by a loud argument that had them both turning to the end of the bar where a leather-clad man with an impressive beard had apparently taken offence to Jim flirting with his girl.

"Should have known," Leonard moaned, then quickly knocked back the rest of his drink before getting up, "Can't take him anywhere. Nice to meet you, Steve."

Steve smiled again and drained his beer, "Likewise, Len. I'll help you out."

Steve wasn't quite sure how it happened, but somehow a couple of raised voices over a pretty lady became a full out tavern brawl. Steve knew the people of his town and he saw most of them either getting out as soon as they could or trying to calm things down, but when it became obvious that the guests of their town would not calm, they left it to Steve. He had debated for years who actually knew who he was in the town, but no matter if they knew his former life or not they trusted him to handle things that were over their heads. He lost track of Jim and Leonard with putting down the brawlers without causing damage to them or the bar and by the time the local sheriff had decided who needed a night in the jail to sleep it off and who needed to be dismissed they were nowhere to be found. Steve shook Hal's hand when the sheriff thanked him for his help, put some money on the bar for repairs where Trudy was sure to find it and set back home, choosing to walk instead of jog, looking up at the bright stars and humming a song he could no longer remember the words to. He came home to a quiet house and found his mother sitting in front of a cheerful fire, Jimmy curled up in her lap sleeping contently as she ran a gentle hand through his curls.

"How was your evening out, my son?" She asked quietly in deference to her sleeping grandson.

There was only one answer and he felt his mouth curl up into a wide smile before he spoke it.

"It was great."


	4. A New Life

**All Previous Disclaimers Apply**

 **A/N: A new chapter from Bones' point of view. I know he's out of character a lot of time, but this Bones also has his little girl back, so that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it. :) Hope you enjoy!**

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"Bones, man, are you really sure about this?"

Leonard McCoy felt like he was rolling his eyes so hard it should have been visible even though his back was to his best friend of nearly eight years. Jim had been asking him the same question since he'd made the decision that getting out of the Navy, off of The Enterprise, and taking his little girl to the nowhere town deep in the Colorado Rocky mountains he'd been researching for the better part of a year was going to be the best, safest thing that he could do for her, for them. She'd only been a year old when Jocelyn had decided that she'd had enough of Leonard. And her family had had enough money and he'd had one too many instances of having one too many in front of people willing to testify against him. Before he knew it he'd lost everything, his wife, his position at the hospital, and, most important and heart-breaking, his daughter. Jocelyn and her family had enough influence to blacklist him in such a way that he hadn't been able to find another position in a hospital within five hundred miles. He'd nearly drunk himself to death missing his little girl and feeling useless before Captain Christopher Pike pulled him out of the shit and recommended the Navy. Always looking for good doctors, he said. And even though Leonard could barely swim and wasn't shy about his fear of the ocean, getting half way around the world, far enough away to try to forget, had been the most appealing offer. What the military had done to help him get his life back on track Jim Kirk had done to heal his shattered heart.

He'd never been attracted to Kirk in a sexual way. In fact, when they'd first met he'd kind of despised him. But, Kirk hadn't left him alone, even when he did everything in his power to push him away. Somehow that cocky kid had become his lifeline to happiness. He made sure he didn't lock himself away from the world when they were at the Navel Academy. He'd pushed and prodded until he somehow sit himself into Leonard's life, an irreplaceable part of him. Jim was his opposite in almost every way, optimistic when he was dour, impulsive when he'd spend hours or days coming to a decision. If he were a more fanciful man Leonard might call Jim Kirk his soul mate. In a completely platonic way. While Leonard had never been attracted to him sexually he knew he could be, but Kirk was an unrepentant ladies man. While he wouldn't put it past his best friend to sleep with an attractive man in the heat of the moment he knew his sexuality geared him more toward women whereas Leonard himself fell pretty evenly in the middle of the scale. He was attracted to who he was attracted to and their outside packaging didn't make much of difference.

He understood why Kirk was so worried about him. The kid knew everything about him, the good, the bad, and the ugly and he knew that it was only the Navy that had saved him from his drinking and his dark thoughts. Only his friendship and close proximity that had kept him from slipping back into bad habits when they finally got out onto the water. He didn't quite believe that what circumstance and his friendship had begun the past few years had solidified. He remembered the dark days for Leonard and, even though he would never say it, was scared that he wouldn't be able to get there in time if they came back. But, Leonard knew that he wouldn't slip into that again. He couldn't. He had his little girl to take care of, after all.

He'd hardly believed it when Jocelyn had called him, nearly six months prior, and told him that she wanted him to take Johanna. She'd tried to play it off as the best thing for their little girl. Because she was recently remarried and pregnant with her new husband's baby and JoJo was struggling with it, not feeling as if she was getting enough attention. Jocelyn told him in the letter that she felt it was best for JoJo that she had one parent there all the time who could focus only on her. Leonard had been so thrilled that he'd get more than emails, Skype calls, and an annual visit that he hadn't called her on her bullshit. Aside from the fact that he knew that JoJo and Jocelyn's new husband didn't get along there was an undercurrent of urgency to Jocelyn's communications that meant something else was going on. He didn't even try to press for it. His re-up was coming anyway, so he'd signed the papers, solidified the plans he'd been thinking of in vague terms for some time and rushed Jocelyn through signing all of the paperwork before picking up JoJo in Atlanta a day after disembarking The Enterprise for the last time and having the time of his life with his little girl taking a cross-country road trip to get them to Colorado.

As the miles went by he'd watched the stress and tension that should never have been on his beautiful little girl's face wash away. They'd spent some time at Disney World and visited the Grand Canyon. It had been like getting to know her all over again and, finally, just as they crossed the border into Colorado she'd opened up to him. In a shy, quiet voice as they sat at a rest station, sharing a cool drink and watching a family exercising their dog she'd told him everything. That Jocelyn and her new husband had never laid a finger on her in anger or in hurt, but that as soon as they got married no one touched her at all anymore. She always had food, she always had clothing, she always look like the picture of a perfectly taken care of little girl, but no one touched her. No one spoke to her. She hardly ever saw her mother. She ate dinner prepared by a chef alone. She'd been so lonely she'd cried herself to sleep most nights and no one had cared. And even though she was happy to be with her Daddy now just knowing how easily Jocelyn had cut her out of her life had cut the deepest. She spoke in waya a nine-year-old never should and it had broken his heart. He'd held her as she cried and promised her that she was never going to be lonely again, that he wanted her more than anything and always had, and that they'd be a team against the world if they had to, but that they'd always have each other. She'd fallen into an exhausted sleep after crying herself out and slept until he pulled up to their new home hours later.

He'd been surprised to find cars outside of their new place when they pulled up until he saw the curtain on the small, pretty cottage pulled back and Jim Kirk's shit-eating grin. He'd only been able to laugh. He should have known his best friend wouldn't let them just disappear. While he should have expected it from Kirk he'd been surprised to find that some of their other friends had come as well. Jim's first officer, Spock, first name not necessary and his wife Nyota Uhura, a remarkably skilled translator, were in the kitchen preparing dinner. Head of engineering, Mongomery Scott, was putting the finishing touches on a mural of The Enterprise at sea on JoJo's wall and Kirk himself was waiting with a freshly opened beer. And everything had settled for Leonard. He was leaving behind friends, family, but they would always be there for him and for JoJo and he could still be there for them even from so many miles away.

Nyota had been a god-send. Leonard had always thought she was very similar to Jocelyn in many ways. She'd been raised with money and carried herself proudly, was always put together and gorgeous no matter the situation. JoJo had seen the similarities as well, it seemed, and had been shy for just a moment. Only a moment because, unlike Jocelyn, Nyota had looked over to see JoJo and instead of an appraising look had immediately lit up and wiped her hands on a towel before dropping to her knees and opening her arms, exclaiming how good it was to meet Johanna after being told so much about her. Leonard could have kissed the woman as JoJo ran right into her embrace and buried her face in her neck. She'd still been feeling a little raw and tired it seemed, because she'd begun to cry and all Nyota had done was rock her a little, then stand with her in her arms and carry her into the bathroom. When they'd come out half an hour later JoJo's pretty auburn hair had been pulled into a complicated looking braid, her face was scrubbed clean, and she was laughing.

"Your ex really did a number on that beautiful little girl," Nyota'd said softly after Leonard came back to the living room when JoJo was settled into her new bed and sleeping peacefully, "If I ever meet her I'm going to tear her apart."

"I won't stop you." He'd agreed.

"I can't imagine treating a little girl like that just because…well…" Scotty'd made a sound of disgust and handed him another beer.

"I think that is, perhaps, why Dr. McCoy chose this town," Spock had spoken up, "There is rumor that this town is very open and accepting and perhaps the best place for young Johanna."

"Awe, hobgoblin," Leonard had used the once mean-spirited nickname fondly, "You cared enough to research."

Spock had simply raised an eyebrow, "It seemed prudent."

They'd spent the last week putting their house together, spending time with their friends, and setting up his practice at the clinic and now it was coming to an end. Shore leave was up for Jim and the rest and they had to head back to The Enterprise. They only had a few more hours together. Leonard was just finishing up a couple of things in the clinic before they met everyone for a final lunch. Nyota and Spock were doing some last minute shopping and Scotty was running around the local park with Johanna, her new favorite playmate. They all had plans to visit when they could and Leonard was grateful for them having spent so much time with them and helped him show Johanna that she would never be lonely again. Even if they were far away she had people who loved her.

"You know why this is the best thing for us, Jim," Leonard said, turning around to face his best friend.

"Yeah, I know, I just…I'm going to miss you, man. Who's going to keep me out of trouble?"

"I think I can depend on Spock for that. If you actually listen to him for once in your damn life," Leonard smiled, "And I'm going to miss you, too. Tell anyone I said that and I'll deny it though."

"You could have chosen some place closer to the ocean," Jim pointed out.

"I hate the ocean, Jim."

"I still don't get how you can hate the ocean, Bones. You were on a ship for how long?" Jim shrugged, and then looked at him with a vicious grin, "Still, it's not like this place is completely without merit," He waggled his eyebrows and Len couldn't help but laugh at how ridiculous he looked, "That Steve guy last night was built."

Len grinned, remembering the aborted flirting with the man from the night before, "Yeah, he was, wasn't he?"

Len felt pretty bad about leaving Steve there to clean up the mess of the bar brawl, but since he first met Jim his strongest inclination was to protect him. Keeping him out of lock-up, even for a night in a small town where chances are it wouldn't even be recorded, had been Len's first instinct. As soon as the dust had settled he'd ushered Jim back to his house, put him to bed on the couch and took a shower, biting his fist as he rubbed one out thinking about the strong muscles of Steve's back and arms as he brought everything back under control. He hadn't even really needed the help and Len's mouth had been dry as he watched him fight, admiring his strength, marveling at it. He wouldn't tell Jim on pain of teasing him to within an inch of his life, but he was kind of looking forward to seeing Steve around town. He'd seemed receptive when they were flirting. And from their short conversation sounded like he was a single dad to boot. Len wasn't sure that he was in the market to start a relationship, but a tumble with a gorgeous guy who understood raising a kid seemed like it might be fun.

"God, if I was into men…" Jim licked his lips.

What Len was sure was going to be a very lurid description of what Jim would do to Steve that Len was planning on interrupting was instead interrupted by a sound Len didn't recognize, the smell of brimstone, and a young voice, made younger by the panic in it, calling out, "Dr. David! Dr. David! Please! It's Jake!"

"Damn," Len murmured, "That was fast."

He'd been a personal friend with Dr. David James. The man had been his mentor when he was in his first residency and he was still one of the men he'd respected the most in this world. He hadn't understood, when he was young, his friend's decision to move to a little nowhere town in Colorado to be a general practitioner to a population of less than five thousand, but they'd kept in touch over the years. More so when Len got his life back on track. He'd been the one to turn Len onto the town and Len had been the first person he'd told that he was ready to retire. He'd offered Len the clinic when Len told him that he was getting out of the military and was looking for the best place to bring and raise Johanna. David wasn't going to retire all at once. For a while they'd have a joint practice and as such they'd already had a sit down and discussed the kinds of things that happen in small towns that require a doctor.

Apparently the Rogers twins were just such a force. David had admitted with a laugh that they probably made up a good quarter of their injuries. Jake and Jamie, he'd explained, were good kids, but they were entirely too smart for their own good and had absolutely no sense of self-preservation between them. JoJo's age and little hellions in the best possible way David told him, he'd treated broken bones, chemical burns, tom muscles, and a ridiculous amount sprains, cuts, and concussions for the two since they were adopted by the local artisan six years prior. He'd be worried about neglect, he explained, if it weren't for the fact that he knew their dad and knew he was an incredibly loving and attentive father who did his absolute best. Sometimes the kids were just a little hard for him to manage though his older kids helped out a lot too. Personally Len thought a single man with six kids was insane, and David agreed, but it couldn't be doubted just how much the man loved his children and how well he did with them. He didn't know what would happen to them if someone who loved their difference and all that they implied hadn't taken them in. They were enhanced or mutants down to the last one, David explained, and Len couldn't fault this guy, whoever he was, for taking in those who would be, no matter how unfair, hard to adopt out otherwise. He just thought he'd have a little bit of time before he'd have to deal with that brand of crazy.

He jogged out of his exam room and was glad that David had told him that the Rogers kids were all enhanced or mutants, because seeing the kid in the waiting room would have been a shock if he hadn't. The kid was covered in downy blue fur, had long canines that looked like fangs, pupil-less eyes so white they nearly glowed, and a spaded tail that was twitching back and forth in agitation. At first Len thought he was standing on his tip-toes but then realized that his bone structure included a pair of tarsometatarsus bones that angled his legs back. If that wasn't fascinating! But Len could be fascinated later.

"You're not Dr. David!" The kid exclaimed.

"Oh, holy shit!"

Len and the kid rolled their eyes at the same time when Jim skidded out of the examination room and opened his mouth before he thought again. Luckily the kid seemed used to it.

"No," Len agreed, "I'm Dr. McCoy. Dr. James…Dr. David and I are going to be working together now. What's going on with your brother?"

"He fell out of a tree and he can't breathe!"

"Okay. It's going to be okay." Len turned to grab one of the black doctor's bag from behind the counter. It had seemed almost quaint when David had told him to always have one ready but he was getting it now, "Show me where he is."

"I can do better than that." The kid grinned a wicked grin and put a hand on his arm. Len felt like he was being turned inside out from his belly-button for a split second before he was surrounded by what he recognized as the local park. He choked down the bile that wanted to come up and put his hands on his knees to take in a deep breath before he remembered what he was there for and took a few steps to where a boy, couldn't have been any more than JoJo's age, was just sitting up with the help of another boy.

"This is Dr. McCoy," The older of the kids said gently as he crouched next to his brothers, "He's working with Dr. David now."

"I'm okay," the young blonde shook his head. His voice was weak, but Len wsa relieved to hear him speaking, "I'm okay."

"You let me be the judge of that, huh, kid?" Len knelt in the grass.

"I'm going to get Dad," the one Len assumed was the other twin took off running so fast it was almost superhuman. Right. Enhanced.

Len focused on the kid at that point. He checked his breathing and the sounds in his chest, checked for broken bones, and then shined his penlight in his eyes. The kid sat still for it all, obviously used to the gig. He held his brother's blue-furred, three digit hand tightly and didn't say a word. It wasn't until the examination was almost complete that Len realized the kid was terrified. Enhanced illegally, Len finally remembered. He sucked a breath in and sat on his ass, trying to make himself seem smaller, less threatening.

"Okay, Jake," he said gently, "You haven't broken anything. Your skull is okay and there's no concussion. You had the wind knocked out of you, buddy. You mean to tell me that as many times as you and your brother have needed a doctor you've never had the wind knocked out of you?" He grinned to try to seem more inviting and the kid rewarded him with a small smile back, his frame relaxing slightly.

"I guess not," He said quietly.

"Kind of scary, right?"

"Yeah. I couldn't breathe."

"I know. But, you're breathing okay now, right?"

Jake nodded, "Yeah."

"And that's not going to stop. You'll be sore, buddy, not going to lie, but you're fine, I promise. Maybe don't climb such big trees?"

"I'll just be more careful about where I put my hands and feet next time," Jake looked up at him with a grin, meeting his eyes of his own volition for the first time, and Len felt his heart melt a little. Those big blue eyes looked really familiar and they were guileless and sweet, Len was sure on purpose. He wondered just how often that look got Jake out of messes of his own making. No wonder David didn't mind treating these kids.

"Jake!"

"Dad!" The kid was up and running in a flash and met a big guy with blonde hair half way across the field. It only took Len a minute to realize that it was Steve, the guy from the bar. It was obvious how much he loved the kid by the way he scooped him up in arms and ran his hands over him, trying to discern broken bones or hurts. Len stood and wiped grass and dirt off of his hands and knees before making his way over slowly, letting a panicking father calm a little. He knew what it was like.

"Leonard," Steve's voice was bright when he finally looked up from Jake, "Leonard McCoy. Can't believe I didn't put it together last night. David told me he was taking on a partner a while back. Thank you so much for coming out here for Jake." He held up his son with one arm and reached out to shake Len's hand. His handshake was just as warm and strong as Len recalled from the night before.

"Not a problem," He said, "He's going to be just fine. Scared him and his brothers more than anything. Over the counter pain meds if he's sore later this evening. Bring him in tomorrow or give me a call if anything seems off, but there doesn't seem to be a concussion or any broken bones. Dave told me about you and your kids, too. The twins specifically. Should have put together they were yours when you introduced yourself last night."

Steve pressed a kiss to Jake's blonde hair, the exact same shade as his own, Len noticed, and put him back on the ground. Jake grinned up at him for a moment before he walked over to his brother. The one supposed to be his twin. They didn't even look fraternal from what Len saw, but they seemed to have the freaky silent communication thing down that most twins had and before he knew it they were walking away back toward the tree they'd been climbing earlier.

"Jake!" Steve called out, "What do you say?"

"Thanks, Dr. McCoy!" Jake called out.

"Thanks, Dr. McCoy!" His twin echoed.

"Stay out of the tree!" Len called in return to them, then turned back to Steve, "Anyway, wasn't like your kid gave me much of a choice. Not that I wouldn't have come anyway, but let me ask you something. You ever get used to…travelling with your kid?" He motioned vaguely to Kurt who was still hovering at his dad's elbow.

"Kurt," Steve sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, "Please tell me you didn't teleport the doctor without telling him what you were doing."

"Jake needed help, Dad! And he handled it really well! Didn't even puke!"

"We'll talk about it later, Kurt," Steve said firmly, "You don't just use your powers on someone without getting permission!"

"All I wanted to do was get Jake help as soon as possible! God! It's never good enough, is it?!" Kurt stomped his foot and Len coughed in surprise when he accidently breathed in the brimstone smoke as Kurt teleported away.

"They say the attitude passes," Steve said after a moment, "I hope it's sooner rather than later."

"My JoJo hasn't quite hit that age yet," Len said in sympathy, "She's nine, like the twins. I shudder to think what it's going to be like. But, hey, go easy on him, yeah? He teleported into the office terrified for his little brother. His first thought was for Jake and his safety. There are worse reactions to have."

"Yeah, I know," Steve pinched the bride of his nose again, "We just seem to be butting heads a lot lately. My two oldest weren't nearly this hard."

"Seems to me he's probably a lot like you and that makes it hard on you both." Len slapped a hand on Steve's shoulder in sympathy.

"Probably," Steve agreed, then nodded as if coming to a decision, "So, I'd like to say thank you and welcome you to town. How about dinner? You and your daughter could come over tonight and we'll cook for you? Then she'd know some people before she starts school in the fall."

"That…that would actually be really nice. My friends are headed out after lunch today and I know JoJo's going to be sad. A distraction would be great for her."

"Great! Six okay?"

"Six is great."

"Awesome. We're the big house at the edge of town, just before the woods. About five miles out. I guess we'll see you then?" A slow, shy smile spread across Steve's face and, despite himself, Len felt a matching grin spread across his.

"See you then."


	5. Family Dinner

All Previous Disclaimers Apply

A/N: As many already guessed, Johanna is a mutant for the purposes of this story. I toyed with the idea that Bones was also Reaper!Bones, but felt like it might be a little much. I know Bones seems a little dense at the end of this, but he's not exactly the kind of guy who cares about gossip or really connecting with the outside world, so I thought it made sense that he might not recognize Captain America or his real name. Sorry if it seems ridiculous. It fits the rom-com aesthetic. Hope you like it. Thanks for reading!

* * *

"JoJo, relax, sweetheart," Len murmured quietly to his daughter, taking her trembling hand in his and stopping on the rock path up to the beautiful, sturdy old house in front of them. He knelt in front of his little girl, looking more and more like a little woman every day and breaking his heart in the sweetest way every time he looked at her. He'd already missed so much. It was a strange sensation to be so grateful to his bitch of an ex-wife for her bigotry, but if it weren't for that he wouldn't have the opportunity to see the rest of her life. He tucked a strand of his JoJo's gorgeous auburn hair that had fallen out of his admittedly terrible attempt at a braid behind her ear and cupped her face in his hand.

"What did I tell you?" He asked quietly.

"It's you and me against the world." JoJo whispered, closing her eyes.

"That's right. And what else?"

"You're never going to let anyone hurt me like Mama did ever again."

"That's right, sweetheart. Never again. Do you really think I'd bring us all the way to Colorado if this wasn't a good place for us? Do think I'd agree to dinner with Mr. Rogers and his kids if I didn't think they might not be good for us, too?"

It took her a moment, but finally some of the tension eased out of his little girl's shoulders and she opened her eyes to look right in his. As always, he was stunned by the incredible, unearthly glow of them. She'd had his eyes until her mutation manifested and they were still very similar to his, but now they seemed lit by some inner glow he couldn't describe and her pupils had elongated until they were very catlike. It was the only outward sign of her mutation and he loved them because he loved her more than anything.

"No," She finally agreed and threw her arms around his neck, "You wouldn't."

"So, you'll give them a chance?"

She nodded where she was pressing her face to his neck and he held her for a moment more before she pulled away, straightened her shoulders and took his hand in hers again before facing the house. That was his girl. He couldn't help the smile that spread across his face, brave as a lion. He wasn't even ashamed of the silly grin that he knew was on his face as they climbed the stairs up to the large front porch. JoJo was the one who reached out and pressed her finger against the doorbell. The chime made Len chuckle when he recognized it as the old "Star-Spangled Man with a Plan," melody, but he didn't have time to think on the unique choice before the door was opened quickly, almost violently, and the brown-haired boy he hadn't really spoken to that afternoon was in front of them, a devil may care grin on his face and his hair hanging in his eyes.

"Hi! Thank you for coming to dinner." He'd obviously been coached, but the result was charming. He felt himself and JoJo tense when the kid finally looked at her, "You're a mutant!"

Before either of them could say anything he was grinning again and talking a mile a minute, "Me and Jake aren't mutants, but we're enhanced. Hydra cloned us, like they did with my little brother Pavel. But, Kurt and Clarice are mutants, too. They're my brother and sister. My oldest brother, Neville, he isn't a mutant and we're not really sure what exactly he is but he can use magic like whoa! Even Uncle Loki and Nana say he's super powerful!" Len was feeling a little overloaded with information, but he looked down at JoJo and she seemed to be following along with the conversation just fine, a little, indulgent smile on her face.

"Who let Jamie answer the door?" An annoyed female voice called out from upstairs before a black void opened up behind the boy and a compact, beautiful, obviously mutant, teenaged girl stepped out of it. The void closed behind her and she stepped up to put a hand over her little brother's mouth. His monologue immediately stopped, but Len could see the grin in his eyes above her hand and wasn't surprised when she pulled it away with a sound of disgust, while the boy danced out of her reach, his tongue still out.

"Want to come play?" He aimed the questioned casually at JoJo and Len looked down once more to see her looking up at him, a smile on her face, all at once hopeful and a little nervous, something he hadn't seen on her face before that made his heart pound happily with the knowledge that bringing her to the Rogers house was the right move. He nodded and released her hand, chuckling when she followed Jamie, who tore out of the room yelling for his twin, at a more sedate pace. The teenager rolled her eyes and sighed.

"Sorry about Jamie. Hi! I'm Clarice Rogers! Welcome to our home!" She carefully held out the hand her brother hadn't licked and shook, her grip firm and confident. Len couldn't help but smile at her. She was the kind of strong, confident young women he hoped to raise JoJo to be. She was a credit to Steve. So far all of his kids were. The ones he'd seen were confident, tried to be well-mannered even if they sometimes forgot, and a little crazy. He liked that.

"Leonard McCoy," He introduced himself happily.

"Come on back," Clarice motioned to the back of the house, "Neville and Kurt are making man noises around the grill. Daddy's hopeless at it, so he plays with the baby and pretends he's 'supervising.'" She actually did the air-quotes and Len found he liked her more and more. Her appearance had caused him pause only for a moment, like Kurt's, but the more she spoke the more he saw only her, not the lavender skin, not the magenta hair. It was why they'd come to this town. David had told him how mutants, enhanced, and humans lived side by side and no one batted an eye, mostly because of the local artisan who'd taken in mutant children, and loved them like no other. The town loved him and his love for his children had helped them to become more accepting, more loving, in turn. He knew it couldn't have just been Steve. The people of the town had to be inherently good before he came to the town to let it become a haven as it had, but he didn't doubt that Steve never questioning that his children would be accepted helped a lot. God damn, the man was becoming more and more attractive to him by the minute and he'd only seen the guy twice.

Three times. He felt his breath hitch in his chest when he was led out to a back patio by Clarice and caught sight of Steve, laying on a blanket in the shade of a tree, a baby, maybe a year old, on his chest, drowsing contentedly. Neither of them truly sleeping, content to let the world pass by and look at the flowers as it did. A man shouldn't be nearly so attractive just sitting there doing nothing holding a baby against his admittedly fine chest. And the smile when Steve looked up and saw him. That smile could light up the world and made Len's knees weak. Steve got to his feet holding the baby like it was nothing and made his way over.

"Glad you could make it," He said happily, "Where's your girl?"

"She's with Jake and Jamie," Clarice answered for him, "Either they'll terrify her or the three of them will band together and terrify the rest of us."

"I'd put my money on the latter," Len said with a laugh, "She's a spitfire. Won't back down from them."

"Good," A vaguely English voice called, "They need someone like that."

"Leonard, you've met Clarice and Kurt," Steve motioned to his two obviously mutant children. Clarice grinned and Kurt nodded. Len couldn't help but notice that the boy seemed much more relaxed than he had that afternoon and figured he and Steve must've had a talk, "This in my oldest, Neville."

The tall, handsome kid on the verge of becoming a man waved at him with the grill spatula and grinned a crooked grin that Len was sure made all of the teenaged girls at the school swoon over him. Some of the boys too, he'd bet, if he had to put money on it.

"The one who can use magic like whoa," Len nodded.

"Jamie or Jake answer the door?" Neville asked his sister.

"Jamie got to it first," She shrugged good-naturedly.

Steve grinned at his kids, then back at Len, "Can we get you a drink?"

"That'd be great."

Len didn't know how it happened, but somehow or other the next thing he knew it was nearly eleven. He was sitting on the porch with Steve in a porch swing and listening to the night sounds, the occasional music swell from the movie the kids were falling asleep to in the living room a pleasant background noise. The baby, Pavel, had fallen asleep on his shoulder nearly an hour before when he was walking him around, calming him while Steve was the deciding vote in the great movie battle in which JoJo, Jake, and Jamie wanted one thing and the other three wanted something else. It was nice to see JoJo getting along so well with the boys. He'd wondered if she was going to have a hard time making friends, but she seemed to be thick as thieves with Jamie and Jake already. He supposed he could have asked Steve where the baby's room was, but it had been so long since he'd held a little person, smelled that sweet baby smell, been trusted so implicitly by another human being, that he hadn't wanted to lose it so soon. Steve seemed to understand because he didn't say anything, just smiled, before asking Len if he wanted to sit out on the porch swing for a bit. He'd handed Len a blanket to make sure that Pavel didn't get cold, but otherwise hadn't mentioned him putting the baby down.

"How was Pavel enhanced?" He asked quietly when the baby murmured in his sleep and shifted a little.

"We're not really sure yet," Steve shrugged, taking a pull from his beer bottle, "I was told the files in the base were destroyed before they ever found him. He was near death, laying in a lab like a forgotten thing. He bounced back pretty quickly so it may have something to do with him physically, but he's still so small, only fourth percentile, it doesn't seem likely. More likely is that they were doing some experiments on intelligence. We'll really just have to wait and find out."

"Seems to me he's already proving just how intelligent he is. You can see the frustration on his face sometimes when his physical development prevents him from doing something he wants to do."

"You can?" Steve asked in surprise.

"Sure. Just have to know what to look for. He's not all that emotive, is he?"

"Not terribly," Steve agreed, "But, I didn't really think about it. I just thought maybe he still had to learn emotionally."

"Nah, he feels plenty," Len patted the baby's back when he began to fuss a little, "He just doesn't show too much of it. May not talk for a while either. Highly intelligent, genius level, kids often don't. Don't be overly surprised if he doesn't talk for another year or more and then all of the sudden starts talking in complete sentences. He'll want to get it right before he does it."

"How do you know all of that?" Steve asked. Len tensed, but one look at Steve had him relaxing again. The man wasn't questioning because he thought he was talking out of his ass. He was questioning because he was truly interested. The earnest look on his face was enough to spread a small smile across Len's.

"I was a doctor at a children's hospital a lifetime ago," He murmured, "Saw a couple of genius level kids whose parents insisted something had to be wrong. Nothing ever was. They just thought and learned a little different than the rest of us."

He looked back over at Steve and felt his face heat a little with the obvious desire written across the handsome man's face that he schooled into a more socially acceptable smile before he cleared his throat and looked away, "Well, good thing he'll have you for a doctor so you can talk me down when he does something I just don't get."

"Somehow I don't think you're going to need me for that as much as you think, Steve," Len murmured, "You're a great father to all of your kids." He cleared his own throat, "Speaking of…how'd you end up coming by so many?"

"Coming by?" Steve turned back and chuckled, before he took another long drink of his beer, "I, uh, I never thought that I'd end up with six. I always wanted to be a dad and didn't figure it was in the cards for me. Just didn't seem to be where my life was headed, but when I lost James, my, uh…"

"Your husband?"

"Never officially."

Len could see the relief on Steve's face when he filled in the blank for him, though he hadn't exactly been subtle about his interest in Len. Steve was mystery of contradictions that made him smile. He was obviously comfortable with his sexuality, but had a hard time putting a label on a relationship. He adored being a father but insisted that his kids growing up to be good people was really all on them and his skill as a father had nothing to do with it. He was probably one of the most in shape guys Len had ever seen, but he was incredibly gentle and preferred his art to physical pursuits. Len was a little surprised at how much he wanted to get to know Steve, to figure out where all of the contradictions stemmed from. He hadn't been so interested in someone for years. And, somehow, the six kids just seemed like a bonus, when before something like that would have sent him running. He shook his head a little when Steve looked out into the yard. Too fast, McCoy, he reminded himself. Slow it down.

"Anyway, after James died, I just couldn't do what I'd been doing anymore. I needed to make a change. I took a while to find out what I wanted to do. Still have my connections with my past, of course. My friends were still fighting the good fight, still are, in fact, and when they found Kurt and Clarice in a Hydra base they thought of me and brought them here. Same thing with the twins and Pavel. Charles Xavier brought Neville to me when he found out he wasn't a mutant and didn't know how to help him. I think maybe they, my friends and Xavier, thought I would foster them for a while and find them good homes. But, I fell in love with all of them. Couldn't let them go. Now I wouldn't want to. They're mine and I love them more than anything."

"Your friends S.H.E.I.L.D. or something?" Len asked. He couldn't see how else Steve's friends would get into Hydra bases and it all made sense. If Steve was an agent then James probably was, too. He died in service and Steve got out. It would make sense that Steve would know Xavier, too. From what Len knew about the organization, which was, admittedly very little, they had ties to the X-Men. Not friendly, per se, but allies when the situation called for it.

"Or something," Steve agreed and angled a grin and a wink at Len that confused him a little. He didn't think he'd said anything that warranted it. But, he shrugged it off when there was a crash from inside the house and then a shrieking giggle he recognized as Johanna at her most tired.

"Well," He gently transferred Pavel to Steve, "That sounds like our cue. If she's shrieking like a hyena it's a pretty fair bet the tired tantrum is only about ten minutes away. Better get her to bed."

"This was really nice," Steve said quietly, looking out at the yard again, kissing Pavel's curly hair.

"It was," Len agreed, "We'll have to do it again sometime."

Steve looked back and looked so sad that it nearly caught Len's breath in his chest. It only took him a moment to realize that Steve thought he was just giving lip service and agreeing to be polite. He took a moment to consider if he was and realized that he wanted to see Steve again and hell, he wanted to see Steve's kids again.

"How about a picnic on Saturday?" He asked before the logical voice in his head (that always sounded suspiciously like Spock) could tell him to slow it down. The impulsive voice in his head (always Jim, of course) cheered to overshadow it anyway when Steve's heart-breaking expression gave way to one of happiness.

"We'd like that."

"Good," Len shoved his hands in his pocket, and felt the tension rising between them before he finally decided that patience and slowing down were for younger people who had the time to bullshit and pussy-foot around an issue as simple as attraction. He muttered, "Hell with it," before crossing the porch and kissing Steve chastely for just a moment before he beat a hasty retreat into the house. When he came back out with JoJo on his hip, nearly asleep though she'd put up a fight at having to leave the twins, Steve just smiled at him and he found, despite himself, that he smiled back.

And didn't stop smiling all the way home.


	6. Five Months In

**All previous disclaimers apply.**

 **A/N: Thanks for the patience. Hope you like it. :)**

* * *

"You're humming again, Leonard," David's deep voice cut into Len's concentration as they both worked on paperwork in the small office they shared. Really it was not enough space for two doctors to keep everything they needed, but they were sharing it well enough. More and more of Len's stuff was migrating in as David's things were slowly making their way to his home in preparation for the day he finally fully handed over the practice to his younger partner. Len's head jerked up and he blinked a couple of times to bring himself out of the files he was adding notes to and into the present.

"Hmm?" He asked.

"You're humming again," David repeated with a grin on his lined face, "'Fly Me to the Moon' if I'm not mistaken. A little romantic for you, isn't it?"

Len wanted to say something smartass and biting in response, his normal reaction, but when he opened his mouth he found that nothing came to mind and he closed it again to think. David was right. It was a little romantic for him, but then again, he'd been feeling more than a little romantic the last few weeks. He'd had plenty of lovers in his life and even one or two loves, but he'd never felt the way he felt with Steve with any of them. It wasn't even sex, they hadn't even had sex yet, though he knew that it was going to be explosive just from the kisses and heavy petting they'd been able to trade when not interrupted by their real lives, Steve's kids, or JoJo. He loved JoJo more than anything, could see the same love reflected in Steve's eyes when he looked at any of his kids, but, god damn, he hadn't been so frustrated since he was a teenager and his only means of sexual release was his own hand. And Steve didn't seem to be having the same problem. Every time one of the kids interrupted them again, in person or with a telephone call, Steve just shrugged with that gorgeous little half smile on his face and took the call or handled whatever it was whatever child had called him needed. Even if it was JoJo.

And wasn't that a wonder? Since that first night Steve had taken on JoJo as if she was another of the kids that he'd chosen for his own. She fit in with the Rogers kids more than she'd ever fit as an only child. The day they had their first picnic she'd melded in as if she'd always been with them. Jake and Jamie took her in as if she was the missing part of them they hadn't known was missing. The three of them together was both encouraging and frightening. He'd always known his little girl was sharp as a tack, but around Jake and Jamie she allowed herself to show it. And he realized that his little girl wasn't just smart. She was keeping up with Jake and Jamie and their enhanced intelligence on every level. His little girl was a genius and her mother's mistreatment of her had forced her to hide it for most of her life. Just one more reason for him to hate his ex and feel grateful to Steve. Because Steve just took everything she said seriously, never spoke down to her, and still allowed her to be the child she was. It wasn't unusual to see her snuggled up to him with the twins as the four of them talked through some sort of invention the three wanted to make. In the family and in town Jake and Jamie had lost the Rogers twins nickname. Now when anyone spoke of them it was Jake, Jamie, and JoJo. Steve's assistant Leah had called them The Trio first and it had stuck.

And just as JoJo had taken Jake and Jamie as hers, the older ones had taken her as theirs. Clarice was there at her first gymnastics meet after the school year started without prompting, putting her hair up in some complicated braid Len never would have been able to manage and going over her floor routine with her one last time before judging began. Kurt was the one who sat outside with her when she was feeling down because she looked different. Even though she was feeling much better about her mutation since moving she still had a hard time and Kurt, who was struggling himself, was the best person to talk it out with. They helped each other. And Neville…JoJo's crush on the older boy had been obvious for all of five seconds before she was wrestling with him just as she wrestled with Jake and Jamie and snuggles during a movie were just that. Snuggles because she loved him and he obviously adored her just as he adored all of his younger siblings.

And being an older sister had it advantages, too. Pavel was such a cheerful, sweet baby JoJo hadn't been able to do anything but fall in love with him as the rest of them had. It wasn't unusual to see her and the twins in the room with Pavel, whom they'd all taken to calling Pasha when they learned of Russian diminutives while studying the language, helping him to learn to walk or encouraging him to speak to them.

And Steve. Steve seemed to think of her as another daughter. He'd told Len from their first real date that even if things didn't work out between them he didn't think that he was ever going to be able to tear his kids away from her and he wouldn't want to. He told Len that JoJo was welcome to join his kids after school before Len got off of work. He was lucky enough to make his own hours and he was happy to have her. Len had gotten off early once and watched through the window as he'd put a snack in front of her and planted a kiss to her head just as he did with all of the others. She'd smiled up at him the way she smiled at Len, trust and love. She'd truly embraced and fallen in love with the family and Len had to admit that he had, too.

God, he loved those kids. From Nev to Pasha there was something about each that he found he opened his heart to allow them in. Neville was very self-aware when it came to everything but his own charm. He had a little fan club that circled around him but he wasn't interested in any of them and so didn't realize that they were trying to angle a date. He let them all down in such a way that they didn't even realize they were being let down and they became some of his closest friends. Clarice was strong and sweet, dated when she felt like it, never made anyone feel like less, but there was a restlessness in her that Len recognized as something that was in people like Jim. She wouldn't stay in one place for long unless time and circumstance helped to calm her. And Kurt, he had such a good heart, such a charm he could talk anyone into anything. God help them all when he realized it. Jake and Jamie were so often taken as a unit, but as he got to know them better he realized just how disparate they really were. Jamie was so self-assured, he never second guessed himself and his insane control over his physical being made Len scratch his head on a regular basis. Jake needed more reassurance. He needed to be told he was doing well though Len still couldn't figure out why. His abilities with a computer were insane. Len would question if he was some king of technopath if Steve hadn't assured him he wasn't. But, the distractions of his brain made him a little oblivious to his body. He was growing up strong, but it was unusual when he wasn't wounded as he just didn't pay attention to things that could hurt him. And Pasha…Pasha was a ray of sunshine. He still hadn't spoken more than a couple of words, but all he had to do was snuggle in and he had your heart. There was never such a bad day that a quick snuggle with Pasha and scenting his sweet little curls couldn't make him smile.

And it wasn't just the kids. It was Steve, too. He'd never known someone so inherently good, someone with so much love in his heart to give and share. He'd never heard the man yell, never seen him lose his temper. Not, that he was perfect. He didn't listen closely enough when he thought he was right and he could be a stubborn jackass at times. He was also tended to execute plans as if things were a battle and it annoyed him to no end when the plan was derailed, as it often was, by circumstance or one of the children. But, he loved them all so much that after the initial annoyance the plan was changed on a dime to reflect the new circumstances. His man, because that's what Steve was in his mind, was as smart as his kids though he tended to downplay it. Len knew he was enhanced in some way even though they'd never talked about it. Steve was the most empathetic, intelligent, gorgeous man Len had met in a very long time. Such a beautiful form, muscles that hadn't lost any definition, too used to the heavy woodworking that was his livelihood and running around after his many children. And he was all Len's.

He didn't miss the jealous looks he got from divorcées and young professionals alike. It was widely acknowledged that Steve was the most eligible bachelor in their small town and it had broken hearts when a broken, former Navy, country doctor had come into town and immediately stolen his heart and attention. But, no one held it against him. The town was close-knit enough to be happy that Steve was happy and, day by day, the broken doctor became more of a lovingly grumpy doctor. He'd been told before that a good love could be transformative. He'd never known one before. He'd never been able to trust like he trusted Steve before. Trust him with his child, with his heart, maybe even someday with his secrets.

"Got a lot to be happy about these days," Len agreed. He wasn't one to try to fool himself or anyone else.

"Glad to hear it. Just…be careful, yeah? I remember how fast and hard you fell for Jocelyn. You've only been in town and dating Steve, what? A few weeks?"

"It's been almost five months," Len rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, sitting back in his chair, now feeling a little defensive of his relationship, "And Steve is hardly Jocelyn."

"Don't have to tell me twice," David held up his hands, "Everyone at the hospital could have told you from the beginning what Jocelyn was, but you were so wrapped up in your feelings for her you wouldn't have listened. But, Steve, at least he's a good man. No one would ever tell you different. You thinking long term?"

Len looked at his old friend for a moment before deciding to be completely honest, "I'm thinking forever, Dave."

"Damn," David whistled through his teeth, "Secrets and all?"

"Secrets and all," Len agreed.

"Well, that calls for a drink." David pulled the bottle of scotch he kept in his desk for hard days out and poured a couple of fingers each into their empty coffee mugs before holding one out to Len, "My fondest wish for you is, and has always been, that you find everything you want and need, Len. And I think, in Steve, you might just have done so. I've known you longer than anyone, I think, Len. I'm glad to see you happy. _Salut._ "

They both took a deep drink and sat in companionable silence before their receptionist popped her head in the door, "Dr. McCoy, you have an appointment waiting in the exam room."

"I don't remember an appointment," Len grumbled, but he put on his coat anyway and followed her to the exam room, raising an eyebrow when she giggled as he opened the door.

And then his breath caught in his throat when he saw who was in the room. Steve was sitting on the exam bed in a tank top that had seen better days and torn jeans, his work boots thudding quietly against the metal when he swung his feet. He had a smear of wood stain on his cheek and his hair was mussed.

"Think I pulled something while I was working, Doc," he said cheerfully.

"Really?" Len closed the door behind himself.

"Nope," Steve smiled, "Leah got back for winter break today and offered to watch over Pavel and the store for a bit. I remembered you saying you had a pretty light schedule today. I just…we never have time…I mean, without anyone interrupting us and I…"

"Shut up, Steve," Len growled as he crossed the room in two big steps and stepped up into Steve's space so that those strong thighs were on either side of his hips. He buried his hands in Steve's hair, gasped when Steve wrapped his arms around him under his coat, pulling up his shirt in the back so that he could touch skin, and attacked his mouth.

The kiss was more like a battle, both of them releasing their frustrations into it. For the first time Len believed that Steve was just as frustrated as he was. Their tongues entwined as they strained toward each other. Steve slipped his hand into Len's slacks and cupped his ass, pushing him closer until their clothed arousals met. Len heard a growl and was surprised to realize that it was him making the noise as his hips met Steve's eagerly again and again. Steve broke the kiss with a gasp and threw his head back as Len attached his mouth to his throat.

"We need to stop," He moaned against Steve's skin, "I'm going to come in my pants like a teenager."

"Me, too," Steve groaned, pushing him away reluctantly for a moment so he could hold him gently, pulling his hand out of Len's slacks to simply hug him. Len laid his head down, still breathing in Steve's scent, but using it to calm himself instead of drive him into a higher frenzy.

"Neville has a lesson tonight. Mother likes to watch the children when he does. Do you think JoJo would be okay to stay over tonight?"

"Okay?" Len grumbled a laugh, "I think she'd love it."

"And Ma would love another girl to spoil." Steve grinned, "We could get everyone settled and then…go to your place…finish what we started?"

"Best idea I've heard all day," Len agreed and groaned when Steve pushed him back so that he could jump off the table.

"You and JoJo'll be by about six for family dinner?" he asked quietly before giving Len one more, sweet kiss, completely chaste.

"We'll be there," He agreed.

Steve winked before he slipped out the door, shutting it quietly behind him. Len sighed and leaned against the examination table before chuckling a little. He felt like a teenager, making out with his boyfriend, making plans to sneak out for sex. And that wink. The chuckle became a laugh. Steve made him feel young. And happy. So ridiculously happy.

God help him, he was in love with that man.

* * *

 **A/N: I am writing companion stories to this story of the kids as they grow. Neville's will take place in the Harry Potter universe. Any preferences on romantic relationships for him? I am open to polyamory if there's a couple someone thinks he might fit in well with.**

 **Also, Clarice will need a romantic partner as well. Any universe or character** **within a universe already mentioned anyone would like to see her with?**

 **Jake I've already got taken care of. (Jensen/Cougar fans, rejoice.) Pavel I've got settled. (Chekov/Sulu fans you will be happy.) Kurt, Jamie, and JoJo I have vague ideas for, but I am open to suggestions.**


	7. Meet the Family

**All Previous Disclaimers Apply.**

 **A/N: I intended there to be sexy times. The men didn't cooperate. Originally this was a monster chapter, so I split it into two. Hopefully the chapter after next will have some fun for our hot men. If you're still reading, thank you. :)**

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"Young miss, you wait until the car comes to a full stop before jumping out like that!" Len growled at his daughter, rougher than he intended because of the potential harm she could have caused herself by leaping from a moving vehicle and his fear at picturing it, even though she was becoming as nimble as the cat her eyes suggested. Since they'd come to this town, where she and others like her were judged by who they were, not what they were, she'd let herself relax more and more, let herself not worry so much about looking human all the time. Because she was more than human. Her reflexes were incredible and she was stronger than any nine-year-old girl should be. She was spectacular, gorgeous, and he often had a hard time believing that someone like him had had any single part in creating someone so stunning. Getting to know her as she got to know herself was a joy. He felt his heart skip a beat, then fill so much he thought it might be in his throat when she turned and grinned at him, her incisors just a little longer than her other teeth, giving her the look of fangs. She was so happy. He couldn't help but grin back.

"Sorry, Papa," She giggled in the playful voice he loved and was hearing more and more of lately.

"I know you think you can handle anything, baby girl," He said quietly, moving to her and setting a hand to her cheek, "Hell, you probably can, but have a care for your papa's heart, okay?"

"Sorry, Papa," She said more seriously, "I promise I'll be more careful. At least where you can see."

"'Bout as much as I can expect," He agreed and swatted her backside gently as she scampered up the steps, used the columns to climb and flip herself onto the porch roof where she ran along the snow-covered shingles and jumped into the window of Jake and Jamie's room that he was sure they had opened in anticipation of her joining them for dinner. He finally let out his breath when she was inside and relatively safe again, and set his hands to suddenly weak knees before leaning over and dropping his head to slow the tempo of his heartbeat.

"Oh! She's exquisite!"

Len turned quickly, his heart in his throat again, at the unfamiliar female voice to his left. He was momentarily blinded by the late afternoon sun and put his hand up to see who had spoken. He'd never seen her before, but he'd heard enough about her to know who he was looking at the moment he saw her. She was sitting next to the fire pit, which he hadn't realized was lit until he saw it blazing, wrapped in a cloak rather than a winter jacket, Pavel on her lap, content as she held him within the folds of heavy fabric. Her face was just beginning to show lines of age, some at the corners of her eyes, some around her mouth, all showing just how much she loved to laugh and smile. Her eyes were the dark blue of a stormy ocean and her hair was a riotous pile of disorganized, dark caramel curls that flowed nearly down to her waist.

"You're Steve's mama," He blurted before he remembered his manners, "Leonard McCoy, ma'am. Pleased to meet you..." He started forward, holding out his hand, before he realized his didn't actually know her name. Steve had always just referred to her as his mother.

She stood as he made his way over to her, laughing like the tinkling of silver bells when Pavel saw him and shrieked a greeting before reaching for him. He murmured a quick, "Hey, Pasha," as he took the baby from her and tucked him into his jacket to keep his little body warm. Pavel smiled up at him and patted his five o'clock shadow with a little coo. Len nuzzled into the sweet-smelling skin until he got a giggle and looked back up at the woman who was smiling gently at both of them. He was surprised to see her clothing under the heavy cloak was relatively simple, just jeans and a pretty sweater. She was a few inches shorter than he was, but the way she held herself made her seem very tall and imposing, royal even.

"Anyone who can make Pasha giggle like that and my Steven smile as much as you have can call me Frigga," She took his offered hand and shook it firmly. He wasn't surprised at the strength in her grip, but he was surprised at the knowledge in her eyes. He felt as if he was laid bare before her, that she knew everything about him, everything he had ever done and everything he would ever do. But, surprisingly, the idea didn't make him squirm. It was actually comforting not to feel as if he had to hide anything from her. It had been so long since there was anyone he'd felt that way with. Steve was another, but he hadn't told him everything yet. With Frigga he didn't feel the need to say anything at all.

"He'll share your pain if you let him," She released his hand, then cupped his face with both of hers, "Leonard." She smiled again, brighter this time, "I like you very much. Come, let us get a warm drink and speak more while the boys finish with dinner." She put her arm through the crook of his elbow and they made their way up the steps.

"Your daughter is beautiful," She commented as she opened the door, "Steven tells me she gets along famously with Jake and Jamie, as if the two were always meant to be three and finally found their missing part."

"She feels the same way," Len grinned, "She's more comfortable with them than she ever was on her own. Don't know how much longer any of them are going to stand being apart even overnight."

"Hmm," Frigga made a sound like she had all the answers but wasn't yet willing to share them. Len helped her off with her cloak and then accepted her help to get his coat off as he was still holding Pasha. He kissed the messy curls again. Pasha was just such a good baby. All he did was settle himself on Len's hip and grip Len's shirt to keep himself steady.

"You hungry, baby?" Len asked quietly and smiled when Pasha grinned up at him, "Something smells incredible!" He called as he stepped toward the kitchen.

"Of course it does," Steve called back. Len was surprised when he stepped into the room and saw Steve, not at the stove, but sitting at the table with Kurt, helping him with his math homework, "Loki's the one cooking."

"Loki…" Len turned to the stove and felt his heart speed and his adrenaline rise when the tall, slim man turned around. There was no one on earth who would not recognize the man who had led an army to the near destruction of Manhattan and had ordered the deaths of thousands. He felt parts of his personality that he hadn't needed in years come to the forefront of his mind as he handed Steve the baby and reached for the gun he no longer carried. The man before him looked shocked for only a moment before he affected a bored expression and leaned against the sink, wiping his hands with a dishtowel.

"Steve, get the kids out of here!" He growled

"Leonard," Steve approached him slowly, recognizing the stance even though it surprised him, "Leonard, calm down," He murmured soothingly, "Everyone is safe. The kids are all safe. Loki would never hurt them. He loves them. I'm going to touch you now." He said right before he put his hands on his lover's tense shoulders. He could feel the tension draining out of them and slipped around him so that Leonard was looking right at him and would not be able to see Loki past him. He recognized the moment Leonard came fully back to himself when he blinked and straightened from his defensive crouch.

"What the actual fuck is going on here?" He shouted.

"I'm gonna take Pasha to play. Bye!" Kurt called out and disappeared from the room in a puff of smoke, leaving the adults behind to work things out.

"Steven!" Frigga broke the tension by slapping Steve upside the head, "Did you never actually say anything about yourself? And you!" She smacked Len upside the head as well, "Did you never think to ask?!"

"Ma!" Steve protested.

"Mother!" Loki called at the same time.

"What the hell is going on?" Len shouted again.

"Go. Both of you." Frigga began to push them out of the door with a strength that shouldn't have surprised Len and yet somehow still did, "Go to Leonard's house. Talk. Do not come back until you've reached an understanding."

"Like hell am I leaving my baby in the house was an insane mass murderer!" Len growled.

"Len," Steve turned hurt eyes on him, "Do you trust me?"

"Yes," Len answered after a moment.

"Do you trust that I love your daughter enough to never put her in a situation where anyone would hurt her?"

"Yes," Len answered again, a little more reluctantly.

"Then, trust me now. Loki will not hurt her. He never could, never would. Ma's right. We need to talk. Go out to the car. I'll be right there."

Steve leaned against the counter, all of the tension going out of his body as Len stormed out of the house and slammed the door behind himself. He took a couple of deep breaths and fought back a couple of tears as his mother wrapped him in her arms, bringing his head down to her shoulder and stroking his hair. He wrapped his arms around her waist and let himself hide from the world for exactly five seconds before he pulled back and tried to reflect her calm smile back at her.

"He loves you, my son," She murmured, "He will understand."

"And what if he doesn't?" Steve asked, feeling like a child.

"If it is a matter of me or him…" Loki began quietly, "Then I will not visit again. Mother can bring Neville to Asgard easily for our lessons, though he will not need them very much longer. He's outpacing me and he's doing it quickly." Steve could see how miserable Loki was at the idea of not coming back to the house, even though he would never actually say it out loud. He was leaning against the counter, his arms crossed protectively over his chest, and he wouldn't look at either of them, letting his long hair shield his face from them.

Steve had been so unsure when Loki first came into his life, had tended to keep him where he could see him at all times, but he'd proved himself over the years. He was a kind, patient teacher with Neville and he was nothing but supportive and loving to the other children. He disguised himself, and often Steve didn't even know who he was, but the next time he spoke with the children he often discussed whatever meet, game, or production he'd attended, praising their performances and giving them pointers for the next time. The only time Steve had seen Loki truly happy, joy written on every inch of his face, was when he was playing with the children in the autumn leaves, laughing so hard he could barely breathe as they ganged up on him to put leaves down the back of his shirt.

He knew from Frigga that life was still difficult for Loki in Asgard, despite the proof of his innocence that had been brought forward. Rumors flew that he had somehow managed to fabricate the spell Frigga had unworked and the memories that Odin had read to prove his innocence. The courtiers were polite, but distant when he came to feasts, not wanting to ruin their own social standing by being seen to be friendly with him. Odin was the same. He had never been a particularly affectionate man, but the rebellion of both of his sons had forced him into a formality with all but his wife that had never been there before. Thor was loving and brotherly when he was home, butt mortal lives were so brief none could fault him for spending as much time as he could with Jane on Midgard while he was able. They had hundreds of years to work their way back to being a family, of course, but it didn't make the present any less difficult for him. Frigga had told him in confidence one day when they found Loki sleeping on the couch, Pavel sleeping peacefully on his chest, that Loki seemed so much more natural, so much more at peace when he was at Steve's teaching Neville or playing with the other children, clothed in the jeans and sweaters that he'd often scoffed at before.

Over the years Steve had come to see Loki as he truly was. Insecure, scared, but with so much potential, so much honor. And he was so gentle with the children. A fool could see just how much he loved all of them. And how much they adored him. Even if Loki hadn't had a single other redeemable feature, Steve would have had some kind of affection for him just because of the love they shared for the children. They had become…friends wasn't the right word. They often didn't like each other much, Loki found him too enthusiastic, too unrealistic about the future. He found Loki too dour, still too willing to be cruel when he was hurt, backed into a corner, or it suited his mood. But, there was love there. The love of family and the knowledge that he would give his life for Loki, and happily, if it ever came down to it.

"Loki," he pulled out of Frigga's arms and crossed the room in two large strides before he swept the slighter man into his arms and hugged him close. Loki was stiff for only a moment before Steve felt him melt and his arms come up to return the hug. So desperate for affection. Steve held him for nearly a minute before he let him go, "Don't you think your happiness means more to me than that?"

For a moment Steve saw a vulnerability in Loki he'd never seen before and he had to wonder just how much of their personality clashes was Loki keeping him at arms' length for fear of being hurt, being rejected. For a moment, he felt infinitely older than Loki, despite their actual age difference. In some ways, he was older than Loki.

"Brother, thank you." Loki murmured, only loud enough for Steve to hear, "If things do not work out come back and Mother and I will console you with alcohol and ice cream, as Clarice assures me is Midgardian tradition. If all does work out I will be extremely disappointed to see you again before the sun." His grin was wicked and forced a laugh out of Steve that effectively cut through his nerves until he sat in the car next to Len, who didn't even look at him before turning the key and pulling out of the drive.

It was an uncomfortable, tense fifteen-minute ride and when they got to the cottage Len got out without a word and stalked into the house. Steve followed a little more slowly, unsurprised when Len was sitting at the dining room table, a bottle of whiskey and two small glasses in front of him, both already full. It was how Len dealt with all uncomfortable conversations, like telling Steve about Jocelyn and their divorce. Steve sighed as Len knocked back his first drink and refilled his glass before motioning for Steve to take a seat impatiently.

"Tell me why I just left my daughter in a house with a psychotic mass murder and how the hell you even know said psychotic mass murdered before I decide that you're insane and take my girl and disappear forever."

"Please don't do that," Steve said quickly, "JoJo and Jake and Jamie would be devastated," He sighed, "I'll tell you everything. I'm sorry for the shock, Len, I…I really thought you knew and were just being polite by not bringing it up. Not having to think about it was…refreshing." Len finally took stock of the pain in Steve's eyes and allowed himself to soften.

"You thought I knew what, Steve?"

"Who I was…am…" Steve ran a hand through his hair, mussing it. Len reached across the table and took his hand.

"Tell me."


	8. No More Secrets

**All Previous Disclaimers Apply. I also do not own or make profit from the use of some elements and characters of the movie "Doom".**

 **A/N: Second part. I couldn't help it. It was too heartbreaking to think that Steve and Len would fall in love and wouldn't have the same lifespan. Obviously Reaper!Bones has been modified a bit, but I hope you like it. I know there are holes, and it seems fast, but really, I just want them to be happy. And all the kids to be happy. :)**

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"Christ," Len murmured quietly as he scrubbed his face with cold water and then looked at himself in the mirror. He looked kind of like he felt, worn out and old. And something else that wasn't on his face. He felt foolish. How had he not seen it? How had he not realized it? Steve's incredible strength that he'd marveled at, his reflexes, his mind. He'd known from the start that Steve was enhanced in some way, but how had he never put two and two together? Steven Rogers wasn't all that unique a name, true, but how many enhanced individuals were called by it? Of course he was Captain America! Or, rather, had been. He wasn't going to pick up the mantle ever again unless it was the end of the world or one of his kids needed him, Len knew that just from what Steve had told him. And Len was glad. Because Captain America was the least of who Steve was, who he'd been.

Steve had spoken for a couple of hours and he'd asked Len to try to listen without interrupting. He'd agreed, only speaking up when he needed clarification on something. Steve told him everything, from growing up during the depression, to falling in love with Bucky, wanting to serve and being unable to. He'd told him about Erskine and his death. Told him about the war, then everything that came after the ice. Told him about Bucky coming back from the dead, falling in love all over again and then losing him for certain. Told him about his wandering times when he finally allowed himself to figure out who he wanted to be away from the Captain. And then he told him about finding the town, fixing up the old place, and his Avengers bringing him his first kids, Charles Xavier bringing him Neville and then his friends again the three after. He took a long time explaining just how desperate he became when he couldn't find help for Neville, and told Len just how scared he was that he was going to lose the boy before he even got to know him. He told him how, when Thor offered Loki, he was desperate enough to save Neville's life that he'd agreed.

But, then he'd gotten to know Frigga and she'd helped him to understand just what Loki had gone through, the spell that had been worked on him to twist her once gentle son into something monstrously unrecognizable. He'd told Len how she'd shown him in her memories how dark and evil the spell was, how long it had taken for her to remove it. And she'd shown him the anguish Loki had gone through when he realized just what it was he'd done. He told Len just how different Loki was now, described to him how gently he played with the children. Told him of how he'd caught Loki dancing barefoot in the kitchen with Pasha more than once, told him how much pride Loki was taking in the fact that Neville was quickly becoming the strongest magic user in the multiverse. Len had seen the true affection in Steve's eyes, the true trust. He knew Steve could be impossibly naïve about some things, but when it came to his kids his instincts were better than a mother bear protecting her cubs. If Steve said Loki was safe and reformed then Loki was safe and reformed and his little girl was as safe as if he himself was protecting her. More so with how strong in magic Loki was.

When Steve had finished talking Len had asked for a minute and Steve had nodded his understanding, that heartbreaking look on his face that said he expected that when Len came out of the bathroom it was all going to be over. He'd given it more than once during the course of their relationship as if he didn't believe that he deserved anything good for himself after fate had given him six beautiful children and a life in a town he loved. That look broke Len's heart and he'd once promised himself that he was going to keep at it, loving Steve, showing just how much that love was deserved, until he stopped making that face altogether. The man wasn't capable of a lie. He truly had thought Len just hadn't brought up the fact that he was once Captain America. But, now…Steve had been so honest with him, telling him everything. And now Len was going to do the same. And at the end of it Steve might decide that their time was through and he would lose the best man he'd ever known, kids he loved with the same fierceness as he loved his own daughter, and a love he never thought he would feel.

"Pull yourself together, McCoy," He growled at his reflection, the five o'clock shadow reminding him of another life. He straightened up, out of the shoulder's bent posture that he'd fallen into at all times from leaning over hospital beds. The hardness in his eyes brought on by the posture was so strange to him now, it made him shudder. He shrugged out of it and opened the door, moving into the living room to see Steve sitting stiffly on the couch.

"Len, if you…"

"Stop," Len crossed the room and sat next to Steve on the couch, "You asked me to try not to interrupt. I'm going to ask you to do the same. Before we make any decisions, it's only fair that I tell you a few things."

"Okay," Steve looked confused, but settled back, "I'm ready to hear whatever it is you want to tell me."

He nodded and took a deep breath to steel himself, reaching out to take Steve's hand for the strength he needed to get through it. Steve looked down at the offered hand for just a split second before he linked their fingers and Len loved him for it.

"My real name isn't Leonard McCoy," He began, unable to look Steve in the eye, "Leonard McCoy is an identity I created for myself when I couldn't be who I was anymore, when it was too dangerous."

He wove the story for Steve then as if he was telling a tale, trying to keep some distance from who he'd once been. He told Steve about John Grimm, a man born the same year that one Steven Grant Rogers was given a serum created by Dr. Abraham Erskine to become Captain America.

John Grimm and his twin sister, Samantha, he told him, grew up in Nevada during the height of American pride after the Second World War. With other families, it usually wasn't a question that the son would serve as the father had before him, but it was different for John. His father hadn't served in the same traditional way as his friend's fathers. His father hadn't been a soldier. His father had been a scientist, and though his work had been just as important to the war effort, to a strong, stubborn young man like John it was the path of a lesser man, a cowardly man. And though he had a head for his father's work, though he'd been his father's assistant from a very young age he'd left his family behind the moment he turned eighteen to join the military as so many of his friends did, wanting to serve the nation in the conflict in Vietnam that was just beginning to intensify.

John was a good a soldier, as good a marine, as he had been a scientist. Better even. And it didn't go unnoticed. He'd been pulled onto a Black Ops team called the Rapid Response Tactical Squad and for six years they had been his family, his brothers. They'd completed every mission put before them with a gleeful violence, salting the earth behind them. And John never had a second thought about it. Until the fateful day he and his team were called to a base deep in the Nevada dessert. A base called Olduvai that his father had told him about working on during the war. Trying to recreate the super soldier serum that had made Captain America. He'd thought that they'd given up, but came to realize they had been working on it since the war. His sister, he'd learned, had taken up their father's mantle and continued the research. But, she hadn't known everything that her colleagues were working on and they'd created something monstrous.

The new serum that they called C24 due to it creating an artificial 24th chromosome in humans, he explained, activated in humans in one of two ways. Either it made the one who was injected with it everything the scientist intended, super strong, fast, smart…or it did all of that, and also turned the one injected into a murderous monster with no conscience, no control, and a constant need for violence and death. He'd lost almost everyone that day, whether it was to the monsters the scientists has already created or because they became monster themselves. And when John was on the verge of death, despite his resistance, his sister injected him with the serum to save his life. To his everlasting wonder, and also sometimes horror, he hadn't become a monster. He'd been himself…just more than he had been before.

His newfound strength allowed him to save his sister, but it couldn't do anything for his grief. It couldn't heal his psyche that fractured at seeing so many he'd known and lived with for so long die. It couldn't alleviate the pain of killing a brother, holding a kid while he choked on his own blood. It couldn't heal his guilt when they found out that Samantha would never walk again and would probably die young due to how compromised her body was from her injuries. It was only in despair, as he tried to take his own life, that he realized he wasn't even going to be able to do that. No matter what he did, he healed from it before it could kill him. Samantha found him in the bathroom repeatedly cutting his wrists, trying to end it all. In the end, she was the only thing that kept him sane for the next ten years. She needed him and it was only for wanting to make sure she was okay that he kept his control. John became a detective, Samantha quietly continued her research and they hid from the government and the company responsible for everything that had happened to them in plain sight. And for a time, they were content, if not joyfully happy.

Then, Samantha died and John lost his purpose again. He went off the rails. He practically took out a newspaper ad declaring himself John Grimm. And when they came for him he didn't have any fight left. He let them take him.

John couldn't remember much of his years as a captive. He was sedated much of the time and when he wasn't they treated him like an animal so he became an animal. He let his intelligence retreat into the back of his mind. He as good as let himself die. It was only when the base was shut down and he was taken in by Professor Charles Xavier, that he came back to himself. Xavier kept him in the lower levels below his mansion, in a cell for the protection of the children above him and his own protection. He came every day and sat with John, talking to him, trying to find some humanity in his mind. It took two years before John let him sit in the cell with him, John curled up with his head on Xavier's lap. It was another nine months before he spoke again. Another year before he resembled a human again. He spent another few years healing and relearning how to be a person again and when he'd healed enough in body and mind Charles had helped him create a new identity, helped him find a new purpose. He was never going to be able to do what Xavier had done to help his mind, but he could maybe help people heal their bodies.

And so, Leonard McCoy, medical student, was born. A strong, grumpy young man from Georgia who loved bourbon, solitude, and medicine. And kids, it turned out. After medical school, he began to work as a surgeon at a children's hospital. He'd married the daughter of the head of the board of directors, thinking his infatuation was love, had a daughter with her.

"The rest you already know," Len sighed. Finally, he turned his eyes to Steve, expecting to see the worst. But, what he expected…hate, disgust, or, worst of all, pity…none of them were on Steve's face. Instead there were tears on his face, but they were genuine grief. Greif for all Len had gone through? Grief for their relationship that was now over?

"Steve?" Len asked.

"God, Len," Steve murmured. He unlinked their fingers and Len felt his heart drop to his feet before Steve was taking his face gently in both of his hands, "You've gone through so much."

Len rubbed into Steve's hand like a kitten and covered one of Steve's hands with his own, "So have you."

"I'm so sorry that this all happened because they were trying to recreate what Erskine did to me."

"No…" Len wouldn't allow him to feel guilty for something that was never his fault. He pulled Steve into his arms and they held each other, shaking, "No one told them to keep going. It was greed, pure and simple. You had no part of it, Steve. Jesus…Steve, you're the most selfless person I've ever met. I just…I can't…I…" The emotion rising in his chest cut off his words and he realized that his anxiety, his fear that Steve was going to reject him was translating into the embarrassing tears that were filling his eyes.

"I know. I know." Steve held him tighter and began to rock slowly, "I feel the same way. We're so similar. Maybe…maybe fate? Or…"

"Or the gods you call family?" Len snorted out a laugh.

"They're not as all powerful as they'd have you believe," Steve laughed too, then pulled back to cup Len's face again and press a gentle, chaste kiss to his lips, "Whoever you are…whoever you were…you're one of the strongest, most loving, most incredible men I've ever known. I don't know what it is, but since the moment I saw you I wanted you. And, I know it's fast, but you feel like family and I…I love you. I love you, Leonard McCoy. Or John Grimm or whatever you want me to call you."

"Thank God," Len took Steve's wrists where his hands were cupping his face and pressed closer until Steve was leaning back against the couch and Len was laying on top of him, then he directed Steve's hands down to his waist before slipping his hands under Steve's back and holding him close, letting Steve's strong legs carry his up onto the couch so that he could scoot down until he felt Steve's heartbeat against his cheek, "I feel the same way. Have since the first time I saw you. Never been angrier at Jim than when getting his ass out of trouble ended our first conversation so quick. Think I fell in love with you when I saw you laying on that blanket in your backyard with Pasha on your chest. Steve, damn it, I never thought to be a father. Johanna was the best surprise of my life and what I'm trying to say is…I love your kids, too."

"Good. 'Cause they love you and I love Johanna and as soon as you can break your lease you're both moving in."

"Little quick, isn't it?" Len grinned up at him.

"Feels right." Steve answered, smiling down at Len and running a hand through his hair.

"Yeah, it does. Who cares what anyone else thinks?"

"Fuck 'em." Steve looked just as surprised at his language as Len did.

And they both began to laugh.


	9. New Beginnings

**All Previous Disclaimers Apply.**

 **A/N: This is the last chapter of this particular story. By far not the last chapter in this universe. I was originally going to have this story be much longer, but this felt right and more will come with the future stories. Each of the other stories will revolve around one of the kids. First up is Neville. I also intended there to be sexy times in this story, but fade to black seemed to fit the overall feel. Please let me know if you enjoyed.**

* * *

He didn't know how he'd gotten so damn lucky. Len couldn't help the soft smile he knew was spreading across his face at the sight before him. After talking for hours, telling each other everything and anything that came into their minds he and Steve had made their way, emotionally exhausted in the best of ways, to the bedroom, where they'd stripped, unselfconsciously, down to the nude and curled up in the bed together. They'd both been too tired to do more than hold each other as they fell sleep, but just feeling Steve's skin against his, feeling their hearts beating almost in time, watching him fall asleep had been one of the great joys of his very long life. He'd spent probably another hour just watching Steve sleep before he'd given in himself. And he'd been nearly as beautiful in the dark as he was now in the bright morning light, made soft by being filtered through the curtains Nyota had hug before he and Johanna had made it to the house. He wouldn't have chosen anything quite so gauzy and feminine, but he couldn't deny what a nice picture they, and the baby blue and white quilt riding low on Steve's hips, made.

The great love of his life had moved into the middle of the bed when he left it, was laying on his stomach, a small smile on his face. His hair was tousled, needed a trim. There was a small smile tugging just at one corner of his mouth as he continued to dream. He was hugging a pillow to his chest, leaving a gorgeous expanse of golden skin open to Len's perusal. He sighed, feeling his heartrate jack up and wondered at how much he loved the man on the bed in front of him. Enough to feel romantic, enough to feel poetic. He'd never felt that way before. He liked it more than he was willing to admit.

He moved to the bed and set the tray he'd put together with coffee and toast on the bedside table before he leaned over and pressed a kiss to Steve's bare shoulder. Steve took in a deep breath before letting it out on a sigh. He sat on the bed for a moment, waiting to see if Steve would wake up and when he didn't right away, pulled his legs u and got back under the blanket, pressing his body lengthwise against Steve's and wrapping his arm around Steve's waist, pressing more kisses to the back of his neck. He felt more than heard when Steve hummed from the back of his throat sleepily. When he turned over in Len's arms he was smiling, a soft, gentle smile Len knew was echoed on his own face.

"God, your eyes are pretty." He wasn't even self-conscious that it was the first thought that came to his mind.

Steve blinked once, wrapped a hand around Len's neck, and brought their mouths together in a kiss that he deepened almost immediately. The kiss felt like the air Len needed to live. He moaned as Steve's tongue swept into his mouth and moved as Steve bent his knees to cradle Len between them. He could feel the evidence of Steve's arousal growing between them and groaned into the kiss again when his own began to grow. He rested the weight of his upper body on his elbows and allowed his pelvis to meet Steve's just as Steve buried one hand in the hair at Len's nape and the other traveled down his side, finding places to tickle and places that made Len moan before it gripped his ass, making them both break the kiss and gasp when Len jerked their hips together out of instinct.

"Mmm," Steve whispered, pressing their foreheads together, "Good morning."

"Mornin', darlin'." He drawled.

"It will be," Steve grinned.

"You gonna wear me out?" Len grinned back.

"As thoroughly and as often as I can." Steve raised an eyebrow, "Any objections?"

"Not a one." Len murmured, and allowed Steve to pull him back into a kiss.

Later, after what he would probably end up classifying as one of the most profound experiences of love in his life, he sat against his sturdy headboard, Steve's back to his chest, and drank cold mugs of coffee, Steve's sweet, his blonde, more relaxed than he could ever remember being. And happy. Happier than he'd ever been in his life. He sent a quick prayer of thanks up to Sam wherever she might be, for saving his life that horrible night so many years ago. If he'd known what was coming, he wouldn't have been so bitter toward her for so long.

"We should probably get home and let your mama and your brother off the hook," He murmured.

"I like that you call it home," Steve responded, rolling his head along Len's shoulder looking up at him with bright, happy eyes.

"I like that I call it home, too," Len pressed a kiss against his neck, "I like that I want to call it home. I like that your kids and my kid feel like our kids. I like that I don't have to worry about JoJo if we leave because we've got a chaos god and the ultimate mother watching over them."

"Her official title is actually The All-Mother," Steve chuckled, then his face became serious, "I really love you, Len. I never thought I would love someone the way I loved Buck again, but with you…it's different. And in so many ways it's more. Because now it's not just me. It's my kids, too. And I know you love them more than life, just like I do. Just like I love JoJo. It's like we were meant to be together."

"That's because we were, darlin'," Len murmured, "Everything that's ever happened to both of us, every path we've ever taken, it's all led us here."

"I didn't take you for a romantic, Dr. McCoy."

"Sugar, I'm going to give you all the romance you can handle for the rest of your life."

"Was that a proposal?"

Len blinked a couple of times, "Yeah. Yeah, I guess it was. What do you say? You want to join me in a crazy, wonderful life? You want to be my husband?"

"I say yes, Leonard, McCoy." Steve murmured, cupping his cheek in one strong, warm hand, "Yes."

Much later, when they made their way home, the kids all gave their enthusiastic agreement by piling on the two men in a family sized hug. And Pasha, from his place on Loki's hip said his first word, grinning the whole time.

"Family."

* * *

 **A/N: Please let me know if there are any other opinions on couples for the kids. :)**


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